Tag: Keon Sabb

Kalen DeBoer provides injury update on starting Alabama defensive back

The starting defensive back went down with an injury Saturday.

After carrying a “game-time decision” tag into the Tennessee game, starting Alabama Crimson Tide safety Keon Sabb was able to play against the Vols on Saturday, amassing two tackles and one PD in the loss.

However, Sabb also missed some time due to injury in the contest as well, a majority of which came in the second half.

According to Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer as well, this injury to Sabb could be something to monitor going forward, and could result in the safety missing time also.

“Keon Sabb, he does have a lower-extremity injury,” DeBoer said during his Monday afternoon press conference. “We’re still gathering information here, but we do expect him to be down for a while. So that could be an extended amount of time, and we’ll just continue to evaluate that.”

If Sabb were to miss extended time, look for names such as Bray Hubbard and King Mack to feature more often going forward at safety in his absence.

Alabama announces Players of the Week after 63-0 victory over Western Kentucky

Jalen Milroe one of eight recognized as Players of the Week by Alabama football.

So far, life in the Kalen DeBoer is pretty awesome as the Alabama Crimson Tide knocked off Western Kentucky 63-0 in Week 1. With the legend Nick Saban in attendance, it felt like a cordial passing of the torch.

The offensive headline was QB Jalen Milroe who got his Heisman campaign going early with 279 all-purpose yards and five total touchdowns. Freshman phenom WR Ryan Williams also got in on the party with 84 and 55-yard receiving touchdowns.

We knew that with DeBoer and Milroe teaming up we would see a strong outing from the offensive unit, but it was Kane Wommack’s defense that should give Alabama fans national title hope. S Keon Sabb led the charge early on with two first-quarter interceptions, but it was the relentless pursuit of the front seven that gave the Hilltoppers issues. Aside from being shut out, the WKU offense was only able to muster 145 yards on the day to Alabama’s 600.

Each week gets more difficult from here, but it was about about as good of a coaching debut and season opener as you will ever see for Alabama. Eight players we named as Players of the Week including Milroe as the “Offensive/Skill”, OL Tyler Booker as the “Offensive/Power” and Graham Roten as the “Offense/Scout” and more.

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Crimson Tide S Keon Sabb named SEC Defensive Player of the Week

SEC Defensive Player of the Week awarded to Alabama S Keon Sabb.

At times it can be tough to please the Alabama Crimson Tide faithful, but it’s hard for the fans to say much after a season-opening 63-0 victory over Western Kentucky. HC Kalen DeBoer has proven to be an offensive genius, so it was no surprise to see QB Jalen Milroe and company thriving, but it was the Tide’s defensive performance that should have Alabama fans excited.

Western Kentucky may not be a Top 25 team, but they were 8-5 a season ago including a bowl victory. On Saturday, the Hilltoppers’ offense only managed to muster up 145 total yards and couldn’t get any points on the board in a very strong debut for DC Kane Wommack.

The biggest criticism facing the Alabama roster going into the season has been the secondary. The Tide lost several DBs to the transfer portal after Nick Saban’s retirement, including super-talented S Caleb Downs. But DeBoer found ways to reconstruct the roster adding guys like Michigan Wolverines transfer Keon Sabb.

Despite all of the changes, the Alabama defense looked really fast, but still managed to play under control. Sabb looked like a first-team All-American on Saturday with two first quarter interceptions and two tackles. He was named as the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

https://twitter.com/AlabamaFTBL/status/1830639372041175198

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WATCH: Alabama transfer addition Keon Sabb records two first quarter interceptions

The Michigan transfer has announced his arrival in Tuscaloosa.

New Alabama Crimson Tide safety Keon Sabb announced his arrival to the program in a big way Saturday night, as the Michigan transfer recorded two interceptions during the first quarter.

Both interceptions came against Western Kentucky quarterback TJ Finley, with both takeaways also leading to eventual touchdowns for the Crimson Tide.

Sabb, who won a national championship with the Wolverines a year ago, started at safety for the Crimson Tide on Saturday where he is expected to play a pivotal role in 2024. At Michigan, Sabb recorded 28 tackles a year ago, along with two INT’s, 0.5 TFL, and 0.5 sacks.

Having already equaled his 2023 interception total in the first quarter of Saturday’s game alone, how many will Sabb now finish the season with?

https://twitter.com/DiehardsAlabama/status/1830024808572014805

https://twitter.com/RecruitsBama/status/1830027133374087267

Where does Phil Steele rank Alabama’s secondary ahead of 2024 season?

Alabama football lost a lot of talent in the secondary but Phil Steele remains confident in Malachi Moore and company!

In one week SEC football head coaches and some of the conference’s top players will make the trip to Dallas, Texas for the 2024 SEC media day. All eyes and ears will be on Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide football program with the post-[autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] era officially underway.

One question that is certain to be asked is what Coach DeBoer and his staff will do to replace the elite talent lost in the secondary from last season. The cornerback duo of Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold are now in the NFL and freshman phenom Caleb Downs opted to transfer to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

According to Phil Steele, Alabama doesn’t have much to worry about in the backend of the defense. In his preseason position rankings, Steele ranked the Crimson Tide secondary as the 10th best in the country and third in the SEC behind the Georgia Bulldogs and the Oklahoma Sooners.

While it’s true that Alabama lost plenty of star power, the Crimson Tide did a good job of replenishing its talent pool both from the high school ranks and the transfer portal.

Veteran Malachi Moore returns to lead the secondary for Alabama. The portal additions of Domani Jackson from the USC Trojans, Keon Sabb from the Michigan Wolverines, and DaShawn Jones from Wake Forest will provide the Tide with more experience entering the 2024 season.

Alabama also has a trio of five-star freshmen defensive backs who could push for playing time as well with Zabien Brown, Zay Mincey, and Jaylen Mbakwe.

Talent and experience were certainly lost in the Alabama secondary but both Coach Saban and Coach DeBeor did a fantastic job of reloading the Crimson Tide roster.

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Which incoming Alabama transfer will have the biggest impact?

In Kalen DeBoer’s first season as the Alabama football head coach, he may lean on this transfer to contribute heavily in 2024.

New Alabama Crimson Tide football head coach Kalen DeBoer had the tough task of recruiting and working the NCAA transfer portal after legendary head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement.

While the former Washington Huskies coach had numerous key transfer pickups, the one with the biggest impact may be former Michigan Wolverines defensive back Keon Sabb.

Will Backus of CBS Sports recently revealed the projected stars for every SEC program which were 2024 transfer portal commits. For the Crimson Tide, Sabb is projected to be the biggest difference-maker. Backus goes as far as saying Sabb is “invaluable” given his experience and the losses Alabama suffered over the offseason, courtesy of the transfer portal and the NFL draft.

“He was a key fixture in Michigan’s secondary rotation in 2023, starting five games at safety for a Wolverines squad that went 15-0 en route to a College Football Playoff National Championship,” writes Backus.

The Crimson Tide defense was exceptional at the national level under Saban, especially the secondary. With his retirement, DeBoer has the responsibility of maintaining an elite secondary, filling the depth chart with talented players who are willing to step up to the challenge of playing under the brightest lights for the Alabama program.

“One of Sabb’s starts came in that national title game, where he had six total tackles and two pass breakups against an explosive Washington offense,” writes Backus. “Now a junior with plenty of Big Ten experience under his belt, Sabb steps into Alabama’s defense as an unquestioned starter and an expected leader in a group that has a long road towards coming together. Sabb ranked as the No. 5 safety in the portal.”

Other key transfers that can make an impact include former Washington wide receiver Germie Bernard and former Iowa Hawkeye (for a few weeks), Kadyn Proctor of the offensive line.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as the 2024 offseason progresses.

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Kalen DeBoer says Michigan transfer Keon Sabb has ‘it’ factor

Kalen DeBoer offers high praise for Michigan transfer Keon Sabb

The Alabama Crimson Tide football team hit the practice field on Monday for the first time this spring as the Kalen DeBoer era gets underway.

Following the practice, Coach DeBoer would speak to the media about what he could see from his team, including several new faces. One such player was Michigan safety transfer Keon Sabb who recently joined the program following the departure of Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor.

When asked about Sabb, Coach DeBoer offered up some high praise for the talented defensive back.

“You bring in a guy like him to be an impact player for you. His experiences, not just each and every play but also the experiences in leadership that as he’s here longer and longer that we would expect from him because of the level that he took his team to, winning a championship.

“That fits in well with what we’re trying to accomplish and what we’re trying to do.”

“The character makeup aside from, of course, what we know is a great football player, he just is a really good fit for us. It’s been a pleasure getting to know him more and more each and every day, just seeing how he’s operating. Right now, he’s just going about his work, but you can tell he’s got that it factor.

“He’s got the leadership piece within him to where I know we’ll be counting on him this fall.”

Sabb appeared in 14 games and made five starts at safety for the Wolverines, and he finished the 2023-24 season with 28 tackles, seven pass breakups, and two interceptions, including a pick-six.

Sabb would show up in a big way for Michigan in the national championship game against Coach DeBoer and Washington where he totaled six tackles and two pass breakups.

With Alabama’s lack of depth in the secondary and Sabb’s experience, he will likely be an instant starter for the Tide in the backend.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Crimson Tide has spring practice continues.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on X (Twitter) @Blackwood89.

Pre-Spring Position Preview: Breaking down the Alabama DBs

A closer look at the Alabama defensive backs ahead of spring practice

Before we know it, new Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer will hit the practice field with his Crimson Tide players for the first time when spring practice gets underway in March.

With the retirement of the legendary Nick Saban, there have not been this many question marks surrounding the football program since 2007 when Saban took over.

Contrary to popular belief, Alabama still has one of the most talented rosters in the country and should be right in the thick of the college football playoff conversation.

Roll Tide Wire will preview each position group as the anticipation builds leading up to spring practice. We will wrap our series up with the Crimson Tide defensive backs.

Alabama lands commitment from Michigan transfer safety Keon Sabb

On Monday night, news broke that Michigan transfer safety Keon Sabb was transferring to Alabama. Sabb spent the past two seasons in Ann Arbor.

It did not take long for Alabama to swoop in and land one of the top available transfers in the transfer portal. On Monday, the Crimson Tide landed a commitment from Michigan transfer safety Keon Sabb.

The news could not come at a better time for Alabama. Less than a month ago, Alabama lost star safety Caleb Downs to Ohio State. Now, the expectation is that Sabb will fill in for Downs on Alabama’s defense next season.

Sabb spent two seasons in Ann Arbor. He recorded 28 tackles, six pass deflections, two interceptions, and one tackle for loss as a sophomore. Altogether, he played in 18 games for the Wolverines.

One of the best games of his young, college career came in the College Football Playoff against Washington. Sabb tallied six tackles and two pass breakups.

His presence in Alabama’s secondary will likely prove to be very valuable. During the offseason, Alabama lost four safeties to either the NFL draft or the transfer portal. Sabb is a huge pickup for first-year defensive coordinator Kane Wommack as he looks to add firepower to his newly-equipped “Swarm” defense.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama football program and its involvement in the NCAA transfer portal.

Former Michigan football S Keon Sabb selects transfer destination

Filling the vacancy left by Caleb Downs, the former Michigan Wolverines safety was picked up by the last opposing coach who saw him play.

Former Michigan football safety Keon Sabb had his second-best game, according to Pro Football Focus, in the national championship game against the Washington Huskies.

With both Rod Moore and Makari Paige having decided to come back to the Wolverines for another year, Sabb made the decision to not be a rotational player and look elsewhere. He surprised by entering the transfer portal last week. Apparently, he got then-head coach of the Huskies, Kalen DeBoer’s attention with his play in the final game of the 2023 season.

DeBoer took over Alabama and saw a mass exodus of players, including star safety Caleb Downs, who transferred to Ohio State. Enter Sabb, who reportedly has transferred to the Crimson Tide.

Michigan fans certainly held out hope that new defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and secondary coach LaMar Morgan could have convinced him to stay, but given that he likely wouldn’t have seen starters minutes with Moore and Paige coming back, it makes sense that he would look elsewhere. And though Alabama will have similar issues with a new head coach, with the vacancy left by Downs, Sabb will have an opportunity to see much more playing time in his junior season.

Sabb originally committed to Clemson and was a five-star at the time. However, just before early signing day in 2022, he flipped to the maize and blue. He saw little playing time in year one but with injuries at the safety position early in 2023, he saw the field early and often — until Moore and Paige both returned at full strength. Still, he was an integral part of former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s plan against the Huskies’ vaunted pass offense and it tracks that DeBoer would covet him after seeing what he did to his former team.