As Alabama Crimson Tide Football As fans prepare for the upcoming season, there are many new aspects of the game to get used to. While it can be a challenge adjusting to a new coaching staff, two new teams in the conference and a revamped roster with several players joining the program as freshmen or transfers, there are some names and faces that Tide fans should be familiar with.
Of course, there are some obvious answers, like head coach Kalen DeBoer and highly coveted freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams. However, fans need to get used to hearing the name Zabien Brown.
Chris Hummer of CBS Sports named the true first-year defenseman as one of best freshmen on one of the best teams in the nation.
“Alabama lost its two best cornerbacks to the NFL Draft and returned just one player from that room last year, so there were plenty of opportunities for young players this spring to step in and compete,” Hummer writes. “Brown did just that and ended up starting Alabama’s spring game against USC transfer Domani Jackson. Brown’s starting status is not guaranteed ahead of fall camp after the Tide added former Wake Forest cornerback DaShawn Jones into the portal. But Brown, a dominant player at California powerhouse Mater Dei, showed this spring that he will play big in 2024.”
Brown joins the Crimson Tide at an interesting time, but it could work in his favor. Throughout Nick Saban’s tenure as Alabama’s head coach, the defensive secondary consisted of playmakers who wreaked havoc on opposing teams.
Saban would work one-on-one with the defenders, which was a big reason why they consistently performed so well. DeBoer is an offensive coach, so he wouldn’t be expected to have the hands-on approach that Saban had.
In short, Brown has the opportunity to play as a true freshman, showcase his talents under the immensely bright spotlight as a cornerback at Alabama, and has some powerful shoes to fill when considering the legends who were previously members of that positional group. .
There’s no telling how much playing time Brown will have by the start of the 2024 college football season, as Hummer mentioned; but fans should be prepared to see his skills on full display whenever he gets the chance to take the field, which won’t happen sparingly. Even if Brown doesn’t receive a starting job, he is expected to play a considerably important role for a freshman in the Crimson Tide program.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as the 2024 offseason progresses and the team prepares for its season-opening matchup against Western Kentucky on Aug. 31 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
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