Alabama football is counting on a transfer DB to an ‘impact player’ in the fall

Alabama’s defensive secondary is one of several areas Crimson Tide fans expect competition at in spring practice.

Nick Saban signed a talented freshman class before he retired, and Kalen DeBoer kept everyone except Jameer Grimsley.

The Crimson Tide brought in two names from the NCAA transfer portal, including a 2023 College Football Playoff National Champion that DeBoer pulled in from the University of Michigan.

Keon Sabb, a New Jersey native, has 18 games of experience in college football — including four starts at safety. The 6-foot-1, 208-pounder totaled 28 tackles, seven pass breakups, two interceptions, and an interception returned for a touchdown in 2023.  As a junior, Sabb enters a young secondary at the University of Alabama where he has an opportunity to make a significant impact. Coach DeBoer expressed to reporters on Monday in his first press conference of spring practice the importance of having Sabb in the Tide’s defensive backfield.

“You bring in a guy like him [Keon Sabb] to be an impact player for you,” DeBoer said.

“His experiences, not just each and every play, but also the experiences and leadership as he’s here longer and longer is what we would expect from him because of the level he took his team to in winning a championship. That fits in well with what we are trying to accomplish. The character makeup, aside from what we know is a great football player, he’s just a really good fit for us. He has been a pleasure getting to know him more and more. He is just going about his work right now, but you can tell he’s got that it factor. He has that leadership to where we know we will be counting on him this fall.”

Sabb has a chance to win a national championship at two different schools, which is something that is rarely done. 

Jacob Coker, a former Alabama quarterback, won two national titles at two different programs.

He won a BCS National Championship in 2013 at Florida State University as a backup quarterback to Jameis Winston.

Coker transferred to Alabama in the summer of 2014 and became the starter in 2015 for the Crimson Tide. He led the Tide to a CFP National Championship in 2015. Sabb can play cornerback or safety, but we will see which spot he fits in best in the secondary.