Who are the Toughest Alabama Players to Block, Defend at Fall Camp?

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama football has fully embraced the iron-sharpens-iron mindset when it comes to position battles as fall camp continues to roll on.

The Crimson Tide's offense and defense have faced off against each other during portions of practice, and some players have become a handful for the opposing side of the ball. This will be even more apparent on Thursday, as a scrimmage will be held at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Ahead of the first scrimmage, Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb shared which defensive players his unit is having a tough time blocking to start fall camp and during the spring/summer as well.

"Oh, we got a couple great guys on the defense," Grubb said on Monday. "You know, DT's (Devan Thompkins) been phenomenal as a player. You know, he plays out on the edge. He'll play the B gap on you. He's a really tough player. He's super versatile.

"And then, you know, obviously Yhonzae [Pierre], I think the world of him. And I thought, you know, just early in camp, I've seen Yhonzae kind of take it to another level. So he's done a great job. Red Morgan, I think, is fantastic off the edge as a nickel. I think he's one of the most slippery guys I've seen out there. And then obviously [Bray] Hubb[ard] when he pressures is really, really tough to block as well."

Thompkins, an offseason transfer acquisition from USC, is expected to start at the Bandit position. Pierre, Alabama's sacks and tackles for loss leader last season, will be the top Wolf linebacker, while Preseason All-SEC First Team member Bray Hubbard will take one of the safety spots. Morgan's versatility was on full display in 2025 after rotating in and out of each secondary position, but this year's Husky spot is his to lose.

Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack was asked the opposite question Tuesday: which offensive players are tough to cover/defend?

“Obviously, Ryan [Coleman-]Williams presents a lot of challenges for us," Wommack said. "There's things that you have to sit there and say, OK, we've got some great DBs that we're going to be able to go one-on-one and play man-to-man, but how often do you want to do that? How consistently do you want to do that? Because Ryan can win. He also is a guy that when you get him the ball just in space, he's hard to bring down with the first guy.

“I'm excited about a number of our running backs. I think we've taken a step in the right direction there. Some of those young running backs are really impressive, as well. I think our tight end room is continuing to improve in their physicality. I've gotten to work with Richard Owens before. He's a fantastic coach and, I think, brings a level and presence to that room from a physical standpoint that I'm excited about.

“And then some of those O-linemen are really fighting, man. I think Dave Ballou and his strength staff have done a great job with those guys in the offseason. I think Adrian Klemm is doing a really good job with those guys. And so, I'm excited to see us get to put it all together. We've got a lot of work to do across the board, but we're excited about the trajectory of where we're headed.”

These are key names brought up by Wommack. Coleman-Williams is perhaps the national face of this program, as he's eyeing a massive junior year following a subpar season filled with several dropped passes. Coleman-Williams has changed his body, mindset and has become one of the leaders for Alabama this offseason, and he could be voted as one of the captains.

The run game was hands down the Crimson Tide's biggest issue last season, and it resulted in UA firing offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic and hiring USC defensive analyst Adrian Klemm. Grubb opened up about new tight ends coach Richard Owens and his unit thriving in the blocking department on Tuesday, which will be pivotal for the run game to return to normalcy.

On top of it all, Wommack mentioned strength coach Dave Ballou, who has put the entire team through the wringer this offseason. Ballou was the CEO of Alabama's Practice Field 3, a place that gave the players nightmares this summer.

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