Tag: King Mack

These Alabama players could see increased time in place of injured Keon Sabb

Alabama will be without starting safety Keon Sabb this week.

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

Nov 25, 2023; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Brian Battie (21) is tackled by Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Bray Hubbard (18) during the first quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

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

Aug 31, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back King Mack (5) dives for Western Kentucky Hilltoppers wide receiver Moussa Barry as he runs the ball toward the end zone during the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-USA TODAY Sports

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.

Penn State transfer DB King Mack announces transfer to Alabama

The Alabama secondary just got better. Penn State transfer defensive back King Mack announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide on (DAY).

The Alabama Crimson Tide added more talent to its secondary. Penn State transfer defensive back King Mack announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide.

Mack, the former top-100 safety prospect, spent one season in Happy Valley. The Florida native recorded three tackles in 13 games played. The majority of his playing time was spent on the Nittany Lions special teams unit.

Mack will add depth and talent to Alabama’s secondary. Alabama lost a total of six safeties following the conclusion of the 2024-2025 season. The list includes Kristian Story, Caleb Downs, Jaylen Key (NFL), Jake Pope, Peyton Woodyard, and Tony Mitchell. Five of the six entered the transfer portal while Key is headed to the NFL.

Mack could see immediate playing time as Alabama is relatively thin in the secondary. It will be interesting to see what his role is on Kane Wommack’s defense next season.

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

Former Penn State safety King Mack announces transfer to Alabama

King Mack, a former Penn State top 100-rated recruit, has announced his transfer commitment out of the portal.

It did not take too long for former Penn State defensive back [autotag]King Mack[/autotag] to commit to a new program. But when an offer from a school like Alabama comes along, it can be difficult to pass up.

Mack announced he has committed to Alabama out of the transfer portal. Mack shared the news on his social media account on Friday. Mack will have three years of eligibility remaining as he moves to the SEC powerhouse program.

Mack joins an Alabama program entering a new era following the retirement of the legendary Nick Saban. Alabama replaced the retired Saban with former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer, who helped lead the Huskies all the way to the national championship game last season as the final Pac-12 champion of the era.

Mack entered the transfer portal following the conclusion of spring football practices at Penn State. He spent one season with the Nittany Lions and saw limited playing time before making this transfer move to the Crimson Tide.

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Alabama lands Penn State transfer DB King Mack

Alabama lands coveted Penn State transfer

Kalen DeBoer continues to work the NCAA transfer portal as the new head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team landing a commitment from Penn State defensive back King Mack on Friday.

Mack is a former top-100 prospect from the class of 2023 and helps secure more depth at the safety position for Coach DeBoer and the Alabama defense.

With the recent departures of Peyton Woodyard and Tony Mitchell, Alabama needed to bring in some more top-notch talent to the safety position and Mack more than fits the bill.

Mack made his commitment public on his X account (formerly Twitter) on Friday afternoon.

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.

Alabama football eyeing three transfer portal DBs to strengthen depth in secondary

Alabama football in for a MASSIVE weekend of transfer portal visits!

There is no denying that the Alabama Crimson Tide football team is lacking depth in the secondary as things sit right now. Between NFL draft departures and the transfer portal, the defensive back room has been hit harder than any other position group this offseason in Tuscaloosa.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer has not kept it a secret that he and his staff are heavily targeting DBs in the portal and this is made evident by the trio of portal targets that will be on campus this weekend and next week.

According to BamaOnline (subscription required), the Crimson Tide is currently hosting Wake Forest transfer cornerback DaShawn Jones and Penn State transfer safety King Mack.

Coach DeBoer and company are also expected to host former Indiana and Texas Tech cornerback Kobee Minor starting on Monday.

It’s safe to say that the next couple of days will be huge for the Alabama coaching staff as acquiring depth in secondary is a must for the Tide this offseason.

Stay connected to Roll Tide Wire for more Alabama football recruiting news!

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Penn State transfer DB King Mack expected to visit Alabama this weekend

Penn State transfer defensive back King Mack is expected to visit Alabama this weekend, according to On3’s Matt Zenitz.

The Alabama Crimson Tide are hosting multiple transfers for official visits this weekend. One of which includes Penn State Nittany Lions transfer safety King Mack.

Mack spent one season in Happy Valley. The native of Miami, Florida tallied three tackles for the Nittany Lions. He did appear in all 13 games, however. Coming out of high school, Mack was regarded as a consensus four-star prospect as well as a top-100 prospect.

Football runs in Mack’s family. His uncle, Keith Ferguson played football at Ohio State from 1977-1980. He is also a relative of Tremain Mack who played at Miami (FL) from 1993-1996.

Mack would help add depth and talent to Alabama’s safety room. The Crimson Tide currently have six safeties on the roster with two leaving this week in freshman Peyton Woodyard and sophomore Tony Mitchell. The addition of Mack could be very impactful in the near and distant future.

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

Penn State safety King Mack to enter transfer portal along with three others

Former top recruit King Mack along with three other Nittany Lions enter the transfer portal

One of Penn State’s prized recruits from the Class of 2023 is entering the transfer portal. Safety [autotag]King Mack[/autotag], the no. 93 player in last year’s class, reposted a post on his Instagram account announcing his intent to transfer after it was reported earlier. Three other Nittany Lions have also entered the portal, per multiple reports.

Mack saw plenty of snaps in last month’s spring game and would have seen an increased role this fall after appearing in all 13 games last season.

In his brief one-year stint in Happy Valley, Mack compiled just three tackles in his limited snaps. After burning his redshirt last year, he will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Others to enter the portal include running back [autotag]London Montgomery[/autotag], a standout during Penn State’s Blue-White game, offensive lineman Golden Israel-Achumba, and wide receiver [autotag]Malik McClain[/autotag].

The transfer portal officially closed on May 1, but due to paperwork being processed, not all transfers were reported until after the fact. We will now wait until Penn State moves to bring in players from the portal.

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Penn State’s cornerbacks coach discusses potential contributing freshmen

Could any of these freshmen find a role in Penn State’s defense in 2024? An assistant coach offers his opinion.

Penn State had a fantastic signing day, locking up all 25 of their commits and having no drama surround their program on a day that can become filled with potential commits signing elsewhere.

On the recruiting front, the Nittany Lions’ coaching staff will turn their attention towards future classes and continue to try and build another elite class that has become the norm under [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag].

As far as the on field product goes, the next question that presents itself is which one of the incoming freshman could become impact players in their first season in the program?

Penn State had five players, all on the defensive side of the ball, forego their redshirt seasons during the 2023-24 campaign. Linebacker [autotag]Tony Rojas[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Jameial Lyons[/autotag], safety [autotag]King Mack[/autotag] and corners [autotag]Zion Tracy[/autotag] and [autotag]Elliott Washington[/autotag] all contributed in limited roles.

Cornerbacks coach, Terry Smith, was asked which players in the 2024 class could follow that mold and become contributors immediately in their first year by Ryan Snyder of On3 (paid subscription required).

He immediately looked to his position group as the Nittany Lions have three players entering the NFL draft.

Smith said that [autotag]Jon Mitchell[/autotag] and [autotag]Antoine Belgrave-Shorter[/autotag] are two players to watch since they are enrolling in January and will get to work within the program as soon as possible.

He notes that it will come down to if they can make the transition from the high school level to high-major Power 5 football and adjust to the processing speed it takes to recognize what is happening during the play.

Talent-wise he thinks Mitchell and Belgrave-Shorter have the tools to be contributors, but it will come down to making that adjustment.

As far as the offensive side of the ball, he has his eye on running back, [autotag]Quentin Martin[/autotag], who is a Top-100 player.

Even in a loaded running back room with [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] coming back, Martin is an explosive playmaker and could be used in the passing game early on as he is considered the best receiver in the room already.

James Franklin announces four Penn State freshmen burning their redshirts

James Franklin confirmed which newcomers will bur their redshirt years of eligibility in 2023.

Penn State head coach James Franklin sat in front of a microphone and reporters for his first regularly scheduled press conference of the regular season on Tuesday. In previewing the season opener against West Virginia, Franklin discussed a wide range of topics without shedding much light on the starting quarterback for the Week 1 showdown with the Mountaineers. He did, however, outline the plan for a handful of some of the youngest players on the roster.

One of the most exciting topics that he talked about was the freshmen players on the team who will have the “green light” and burn their redshirt this season. It’s a term that he’s used to mainly highlight the players that are ready to make an impact immediately in their freshman year.

These are the four players Franklin announced at the presser.

  • [autotag]Tony Rojas[/autotag] (linebacker)
  • [autotag]Zion Tracy[/autotag] (cornerback)
  • [autotag]Elliott Washington[/autotag] II (cornerback)
  • [autotag]King Mack[/autotag] (safety)

“These guys have shown that they’re the closest, not just to play on defense, but also have significant roles on special teams,” Franklin said on Tuesday. “So, that’s where those guys have been able to get the green light, is being in what I would consider the three deep on defense, and being within the two deep on enough special teams units that it makes sense.”

Rojas has been a fast riser in the program this summer after putting on over 30 pounds of muscle since he arrived on campus. There have been murmurs that he will see time at linebacker at portions of the season that aren’t in blowout games.

Tracy and Washington will likely be confined to special team roles when not in for mop-up duty. Both were rated as four-star recruits by On3 and have flashed in the offseason training camps.

Mack is a name that kept coming up over and over again through the summer and spring. The former Top 100 recruit in the 2023 class out of Florida has been an impact player throughout camp. He could see the field at some point in a rotational role like Rojas.

Franklin also mentioned other freshmen are in the mix to burn their redshirt as well, “There’s another group of yellow guys that you hope by game five, game four, game five, somewhere around there, that they’re going to be ready to be green-lighted as well.”

Factors like on-field performance, injuries, and others will be used to determine which freshmen will be given the green light throughout the season.

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2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 9 King Mack

Penn State has great young depth in the making with King Mack at safety in 2023.

Going into the 2023 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.

Continuing this series is a look at one of Penn State’s newest members of the program in the Class of 2023, safety [autotag]King Mack[/autotag]. Mack joins a solid position group in 2023 and could be a player to watch a little more down the line during his college career. But the addition of Mack helps provide tremendous quality depth at the safety position to rely on moving into the fall. Here is a snapshot look at King Mack entering his true freshman season in 2023.