The Alabama Position Group That's 'Building for the Future'

The Crimson Tide had multiple freshmen tight ends stand out against Eastern Illinois, and they could be pivotal in starter Josh Cuevas' absence.

Alabama Tight End Marshall Pritchett catches a pass in the second half of the game against Eastern Illinois on November 22, 2025. | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama had a plethora of position battles over the summer, but the starting tight end spot was locked up much earlier in the offseason.

After CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts left for the NFL, Josh Cuevas was the only returning tight end with some experience. Cuevas has put together a very solid season, as he's up to 30 receptions for 341 yards and four touchdowns. He's made clutch plays in big games, and on Oct. 7, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson compared Cuevas to NFL greats Travis Kelce and George Kittle.

Cuevas sat out with a foot injury during Saturday's 56-0 home win over Eastern Illinois. Head coach Kalen DeBoer said after the game that "We'll just kind of have to see how he comes along here during the week next week."

Cuevas is a redshirt senior, meaning he'll be out of collegiate eligibility after this season ends. In other words, a new tight end will have to emerge, and Alabama got to test that out a bit against the Panthers with Cuevas on the sideline. That said, DeBoer was pleased with what he saw from the tight end room on Saturday in Cuevas' absence.

"Kaleb [Edwards], I mean, he's played all year," DeBoer said. "He's had big catches going back to the very beginning of the season, and the combination of guys working together, I think, is always key.

"Whether they're working together in the blocking schemes, and that was a big part of what we were trying to do, too, is just getting some of those guys reps together, building for the future. So, there's intentionality on some of the calls and personnel groupings with potential situations that could happen."

As DeBoer said, Edwards, a true freshman, has seen time on the field throughout the season and logged one catch for 30 yards against Eastern Illinois. Cuevas has previously mentioned that Edwards has "adjusted very efficiently" to Alabama football, and based on Saturday, the same could be said about another freshman tight end.

"I thought getting Marshall Pritchett, who's going to be a really good football player, the last few weeks, he's really gained a lot of steam," DeBoer said. "Gotten a few reps. He's been great on special teams. And we saw him early in the season, scout team, tearing it up. Getting healthier throughout the year, and now he's out there doing his thing, and it was good to see [him] get comfortable."

Pritchett missed most of the spring with an injury, putting him at a disadvantage in terms of the early developmental stages of a college football player. He hasn't seen much time on the field this season, as before Saturday, his only two catches came against ULM in Week 2.

But the former four-star recruit flashed his potential against the Panthers, as he led the Crimson Tide in receptions (four) and was third in yards (33). Edwards was announced as the starter before kickoff, and it'll likely stay that way until Cuevas returns, but Pritchett showed that he's capable of getting the job done if his number is called.

Another tight end DeBoer highlighted after the Eastern Illinois conquering was Brody Dalton.

"It was good to see Brody [Dalton] out there making some plays and playing physical, too," DeBoer said.

But like Cuevas, Dalton is also a redshirt senior and is in his final year of eligibility. The Troy transfer hauled in his first, second and third receptions in an Alabama uniform on Saturday, going for 22 yards. Pritchett was the only member of the Crimson Tide to have more catches than Dalton.

Edwards, Pritchett and Dalton were the only tight ends to haul in catches this game, but don't be surprised if a couple more see some time on the field, either as a blocker or pass-catcher, over the next couple of weeks.

One other tight end to watch is Jay Lindsey. When Alabama's tight end room was riddled with injuries during the spring, he was one of the main players to step up and get more reps. Cuevas said on Oct. 30 that the redshirt freshman "could be a great leader down the stretch."

Edwards, Pritchett and Lindsey are three current Alabama tight ends to keep an eye on for the future. The Crimson Tide still has one game remaining in the regular season against Auburn on the road. This will be a good test for the trio and Dalton, as an environment doesn't get much tougher than Jordan-Hare Stadium at night.