Alabama’s Young Defenders Are Stepping Up at the Perfect Time

Fresh off a dominating win against Mississippi State, the Alabama Crimson Tide came away with a couple of extra wins.

Because of injuries to Alabama’s linebacker core, true freshman linebacker Xavier Griffin earned himself his first career start, and he didn’t disappoint.

The SEC announced that Griffin was awarded Co-Freshman of the Week, along with Kentucky wide receiver Kenny Darby.

Griffin led the Crimson Tide with nine total tackles on Saturday and recorded his first collegiate sack.

The former five-star recruit was one of Alabama’s standouts during Fall Camp, with defensive coordinator Kane Wommack emphasizing how important he was during that time. The Tide asked him to wear several hats – something that is rare for a true freshman.

There was an external concern about Alabama’s linebacker depth once both Justin Hill and Desmond Umeozulu went down. However, as we’ve seen in years past, this coaching staff is not shy about letting freshmen be themselves.

It worked with wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks and defensive lineman London Simmons last season, and they’re seeing overwhelming results from Griffin already.

Speaking of Simmons, he was another standout in Saturday’s win. The sophomore lineman recorded two total tackles, including one and a half sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

Simmons can often be deemed as the forgotten one on this defense, but his presence is so important.

He carries incredible burst, mixed with his overpowering strength, and it helped him get to the quarterback. Last season, Simmons was a three-star true freshman, and after a season-ending injury to lineman Jeremiah Beaman, it was on Simmons to pick up the slack.

A heavy ask for someone who had such a low profile coming into his freshman season.

But he didn’t disappoint. In fact, he thrived.

He finished last season with 17 total tackles, 13 solo, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. 

In 2026, with Beaman reinjuring his knee during fall camp and being forced to miss the season, it opened up the door for Simmons to take the starting lineman role for the duration of his college career.

And it doesn’t seem out of the question.

The 6-foot-3, 300 pounder has fit in like a glove, with no real drop off from when Beaman was shelved.

The presence of the two young defenders will be extra crucial for one of the most important games of the season. The second-ranked Georgia Bulldogs come into town, and they have one of the better offenses in the FBS.

Georgia has only allowed Havoc on 10.3% of its snaps, while Alabama has forced Havoc in 20% of its snaps.

That means Alabama's defense will be looking to create the same kind of disruption against a Georgia offense that has done a good job keeping opponents out of the backfield.

It will be another test for the young duo, who already showed that no noise is loud enough to deter them. If they can overcome the cowbells in Starkville, they can go toe-to-toe with the top team in the conference.