During head coach Kalen DeBoer’s press conference Monday afternoon, the Alabama Crimson Tide received news that starting safety Keon Sabb would be sidelined for a while due to an injury suffered during the Tennessee game.
As a result of this injury, Alabama relied on backups across a majority of the second half vs. Tennessee, with a few names featuring heavily that might not be very familiar to some across the Crimson Tide fanbase.
However, it now appears that those names will likely have to continue to play more-and-more due to the Sabb injury, meaning that some could also become starters going forward.
Here are a few names to watch for that could end up playing prominent roles in replacing Sabb in the Alabama secondary:
Bray Hubbard, Safety
One of the more obvious players that could see increased time starting this weekend is Hubbard, who played a key role in replacing Sabb during the Tennessee game where he amassed a career-high nine tackles.
The sophomore is in his second season at Alabama after he originally came to the program as a talented two-way prep star from the state of Mississippi, and has already posted a career-high 20 tackles and one TFL this season.
A special teams primarily up to this point, Hubbard is likely the favorite to start for Alabama on Saturday, and could claim the starting job with a strong performance.
King Mack, Safety
Another name who saw time at safety during the Tennessee game was Mack, who finished with two tackles.
New to the Alabama program this season, Mack transferred to the Crimson Tide during the offseason from Penn State where he recorded three tackles a year ago as a freshman, and has six so far this season.
Prior to Penn State, Mack was one of the top safeties in the 2023 class out of national power St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida, and is certainly more than capable of stepping into a prominent role for the Crimson Tide.
Kameron Howard, Safety
Lastly, another player to watch for at the safety position is Howard, who is also new to the Alabama program.
Howard also transferred to Alabama this past offseason, coming from the Charlotte 49ers where he had 38 tackles last season as a freshman. So far this season, Howard has amassed two tackles.
Howard also played at one of the nation’s top high school programs in St. Frances Academy out of Maryland, and will likely see more time on special teams at the least.
