Mass, Continuity, and Competition: What Alabama Defensive Coordinator Kane Wommack is Happy to See From Defensive Front

Alabama wrapped up spring practice last month, and while we won't get to see the Tide in action again until Fall Camp in July/August, Alabama's players are working out and running player-led practices during the summer in preparation for the 2026 season.

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Summer 2026 looks a lot different than Summer 2025 did. With no spring transfer portal window, the focus has shifted from last-minute roster additions to high school recruiting for Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack and the rest of the Crimson Tide's coaching staff.

"This is obviously a different time and phase than what it was a year ago. There were so many variables coming out of spring football; trying to retain your roster, trying to add pieces that you needed," Wommack told Creg Stephenson of AL.com. We're really in a pretty good place as a defense, so to just have the comfort knowing that you're gonna be able to develop these players and retain all these players coming out of spring is great, and so now our attention gets to really focus in on some of this high school class and get the best young high school players in the country, which has always been the recipe for success."

Last season, Alabama's defense ranked top 25 in points allowed (19.2 points per game) and redzone defense (77.5%), and was a top 15 unit nationally allowing 4.92 yards per play and 296.8 yards per game. However, it was outside the top 30 in rushing defense, allowing 3.74 yards per carry and 126.9 yards per game. In the Tide's final game of the season, Alabama allowed 4.3 yards per carry and 215 rushing yards to Indiana, with Wommack knowing that rushing defense is one area where Alabama can go from being a great defense to elite. That starts up front with the offensive line, where the Crimson Tide have a plethora of big bodies to clog rushing lanes.

"It's nice when you go into year three with a lot of continuity. We've got a lot of returning starters on our back end, a lot of young guys that are pushing some of those guys as well," Wommack said. "We've kind of gotten the defensive line in a position where we've got more mass.

"There's some older guys. The transfer portal's been really good to us, so having some of those guys in, coupled with our back end, I think there's a lot of continuity. There's a lot of excitement within the group and confidence in each other. It's fun to kind of go through spring with that group of guys that knows the expectation and sets the tone early and often."

Alabama's portal additions up front consist of guys who have flashed in limited reps at other schools and now have a chance to compete for playing time in Tuscaloosa. Oregon transfer Terrance Green, the biggest of the transfer additions, has made 22 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack in three seasons with Oregon as a 6-foot-5, 319-pound interior defensive lineman. Another addition in USC transfer Devan Thompkins has shown versatility with the Crimson Tide, lining up primarily as an interior defensive lineman but kicking out to bandit defensive end when Alabama wanted to line up in heavier sets defensively during spring practice. In four seasons at USC, the 6-foot-5, 298-pound defensive lineman totaled 56 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks for the Trojans in 27 games played. Alabama's third addition via the portal comes in Mississippi State's Kedrick Bingley-Jones, who is entering his sixth season of college football, and stands at 6-foot-4 and 304 pounds. At North Carolina and Mississippi State prior to Alabama, Bingley-Jones totaled 40 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.

Alabama made an addition to its outside linebacker room, adding Desmond Umeozulu from South Carolina, a 6-foot-6, 253-pound senior who had 30 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks in three seasons with the Gamecocks. The Crimson Tide also added Caleb Smith from Washington, who redshirted in his one season with the Huskies in Seattle.

Add that size to what Alabama retained in returner Yhonzae Pierre (6-foot-3, 253 pounds), who led the Crimson Tide in sacks with eight, and Justin Hill (6-foot-3, 244 pounds) at Wolf linebacker, and the Crimson Tide's three-deep off the edge looks to be a foreboding group.

Along the front four defensively, Alabama's three additions of Green, Thompkins, and Bingley-Jones matches well with the returning veterans of Jeremiah Beaman (6-foot-4, 303 pounds), London Simmons (6-foot-3, 302 pounds), Steve Bolo Mboumoua (6-foot-4, 301 pounds), Isaia Faga (6-foot-2, 291 pounds), and Edric Hill (6-foot-3, 287 pounds), who are all expected to be meaningful contributors for Alabama's defensive line.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.