Kane Wommack Proud of Two Alabama Defensive Backs for Recent Performances

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 10 Alabama football has moved a handful of pieces in the secondary this season, but one starting cornerback seemed to be locked up well before Week 1 kicked off.

Domani Jackson had high expectations to be an All-SEC cornerback after shining in his first season at Alabama in 2024 following his transfer from USC. But Jackson struggled a bit in coverage and also as a tackler in the first few games of the season.

It forced head coach Kalen DeBoer and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack to take him out of the starting lineup and replace him with freshman Dijon Lee Jr. Jackson hasn't been a starter for the past couple of games, but during Saturday's loss to Oklahoma, he made the most of his time on the field as he tied for the team-high in tackles with five and had the sole lead in solo tackles with four.

"I think as much as anything, the maturity that Domani has shown to just go to work every day, find ways to get better," Wommack said during Monday's press conference. "He's had some of his best practice habits over these last three to four weeks, and it's showing up in games.

"I told him I'm proud of him for that. The way that he has operated, the way he has handled the adversity in his individual performances, and still found a way to put himself in position to go out there, and when his number was called, to make plays.

"He had five tackles in the game, which is awesome. There's a whole heck of a lot of football yet. To have the maturity to know your number is gonna get called again and to be ready for that. I tell this to you guys all the time and I tell it to the players, 'We have to answer for what we put on tape, but we also get rewarded for whatever we put on tape.' Right now, Domani did a hell of a job the other day."

While Jackson's snaps went down a couple of weeks ago, the opposite could be said for fellow defensive back Red Morgan. The sophomore has made a ton of progress lately despite being a reserve.

He was moved around as a cornerback, safety and HUSKY during the offseason, and his versatility has shown on game day. This was most evident during Saturday's loss to Oklahoma, as Morgan logged four tackles, including one for loss, and he forced a fumble. Against LSU, he had four tackles, including one for loss, and a quarterback hurry.

“Yeah, Red has always been a good football player," Wommack said. "He flashes, he’s bouncy, he’s very athletic and he’s hard to get your hands on in space from a standpoint of he can kind of — all those field RPOs out there he’s kind of slippery and he’s also a really physical kid. He’s probably one of the best strikers I’ve seen from a tackling perspective.

"Red’s probably as good as I’ve seen at being able to strike. He’s getting more and more comfortable with his consistency and his execution. He’s better and better in man coverage. I know he got a penalty the other day, but I really thought he was in a great position there. I thought he did a really good job.

"He’s just becoming a more and more complete player. That’s a young man that we asked a whole hell of a lot a year ago, to come in here and start as a true freshman and it was because we didn’t have another answer. So we put a whole lot on his plate and some things he handled really well and some things he had to push through the adversity, but now he’s come out on the other side as a very good football player. Proud of his fight and excited to see what he’ll do on the back end of the season.”

Alabama will face Eastern Illinois at home on Saturday afternoon. While it's not necessarily a guarantee, expect the reserves across many positions to see some more time than in a typical game. Jackson and Morgan are two players to watch this weekend.

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