Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer named some of the younger players who have been in the program for a year or two that have caught his eye this spring and have a shot at contributing to the team this fall. Speaking on Hey Coach before A-Day, he started on the offensive side.

“A guy like Derek Meadows sticks out in my mind,” DeBoer said. “You saw Lotzeir (Brooks) get on the football field at the receiver position, especially the second half of the season, but Derek is a long receiver that can really cover a lot of ground, has made a lot of nice plays here all spring. 

“I think the other, you saw Kaleb Edwards at tight end a lot last year, but he’s really taken the next steps, has had now a winter, an offseason, where last year he came in in the summer and had to hit the ground running. Marshall Pritchett, those two guys together, along with Josh Ford, who’s transferred in, and Jay Lindsey, who was here before, are really guys at that position.”

Meadows played in 12 games as a true freshman and started the LSU game. He didn’t record any stats in 2025, but the 6-foot-5 sophomore appears poised to take the next step in Year 2.

Edwards enrolled last summer and proceeded to play in 15 games, making six starts. He could be Alabama’s top tight end this fall. Pritchett also played in every game as a freshman and could see his role increase in 2026, as the Tide looks to replace starting tight end Josh Cuevas.

As for the defense, DeBoer is pleased with several members of Alabama’s deep secondary.

“I think defensive back-wise, I mean, there’s a lot of guys that are returning, and that’s probably the biggest thing,” DeBoer said. “But Dijon Lee is taking the next steps. Zabien Brown, those guys are all moving along. Ivan Taylor‘s had a nice spring, and Red Morgan‘s had a really nice spring, which that’s a name that now has had two years on the football field. So, excited about some of those guys.

“Justin Hill at the outside linebacker, or defensive end, he’s had another good spring here.”

Brown, Lee, Morgan and Taylor played in all 15 games last season. Brown has started every game of his Alabama career and is set to be one of the top defensive backs in the country this fall. Lee and Morgan started five games apiece in 2025, and as they continue to build on last year, they should start to begin the 2026 campaign at corner and Husky, respectively. 

Taylor has received opportunities this spring with Bray Hubbard limited by injury. Hubbard and Keon Sabb are expected to be Alabama’s starting safety duo, but Taylor has received rave reviews this spring and could carve out more of a role in Year 2. At Wolf linebacker, Hill gained a lot of experience, playing in all 15 games, and is set to once again make an impact.

Alabama is not afraid to play freshmen, and those young players will continue to see the field.

“Guys continue to develop,” DeBoer said. “A lot of our freshmen stepped on the football field. I think we probably had 6-8 guys that really played a lot of downs, whether they were starting or played starter snaps. That’s the guys that you’re going to see continue to grow.”

Not a member, Alabama fans? Join BOL today!

Have you subscribed to BamaOnLine.com yet? You can sign up for ONE MONTH of premium access to our Alabama coverage for just $11.99! Be able to read all of BOL’s premium articles and nuggets covering Alabama sports and recruiting, and also join thousands of other Crimson Tide fans around the globe on the BOL Round Table message board! CLICK HERE!