Alabama spring grade out: Defensive backs
Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe Now
Always Updated: Recruiting Ticker
Spring Grade Out Series
*Alabama spring grade out: Quarterback
*Alabama spring grade out: Running back
*Alabama spring grade out: Wide receiver
*Alabama spring grade out: Offensive line
Defensive backs
Alabama finished its spring camp last month revealing an early preview of what to expect in the coming season. We will break down each position, sharing what we saw and what to expect for this year. Today we continue our spring evaluations with the defensive back positions.
Biggest thing we learned: Minkah Fitzpatrick can play anywhere
Minkah Fitzpatrick began the spring announcing he was back at the position he came to Alabama to play — cornerback. Little did he know, a week later Alabama coaches would have other plans, switching him back to safety in order to move converted wide receiver Trevon Diggs to the cornerback spot.
The move, which Alabama head coach Nick Saban called an experiment at the time, made sense as Diggs was more comfortable at corner than safety. Fitzpatrick was also used to the strong safety position after moving there midway through last season to fill in after Eddie Jackson suffered a season-ending injury.
While the new position might not have been what Fitzpatrick had in mind when he joined the program in 2015, he also came to Alabama to win. If switching to safety would put the Tide in a better position to do that, the 6-foot-1, 203-pound defensive back was more than willing to help.
Fitzpatrick excelled at safety last season, earning All-American honors while intercepting three of his team-high six interceptions while playing the position. Perhaps the most versatile player on the Tide’s roster, he arrived at Alabama as a cornerback before moving to Star for his freshman season through the beginning of his sophomore season.
That experience across the secondary should also play into his success next season, as the strong safety is tasked with leading the defense by making pre-snap calls and shifts. A self-described student of the game, Fitzpatrick has already became somewhat of a mentor for the rest of Alabama’s defensive backs.
“All of the young guys and even some of the older guys ask me questions everyday,” Fitzpatrick said. “Just small stuff, technique stuff because they know that I know. They know that I study the game every single day, and I'm a student of the game. They ask me questions and they're learning from me.”
Fitzpatrick was one of the standout players during the A-Day scrimmage, finishing tied for second on the team with seven tackles, including one for a loss and one pass breakup. One of the bright spots in a shaky secondary this spring, Fitzpatrick will most likely serve as the anchor of the unit, allowing the players around him to grow into their roles.
“Put him at corner, safety, Star, wherever you want to put Minkah he can play,” Alabama cornerback Anthony Averett said. “Wherever Saban wants to play him or wherever he wants to experiment with him, he’s willing to do that.”
Biggest spring concern: Stopping the deep ball
While Fitzpatrick was impressive this spring, Alabama’s secondary struggled as a whole. The unit gave up a combined 661 yards and five touchdowns through the air during A-Day and were the subject of much criticism from Saban during camp.
"It's pretty obvious to me that we don't have enough respect for the deep part of the field in the back end,” Saban said following the first scrimmage of the spring. “Especially past the first team because we gave up quite a few explosive plays with the second and third secondary when they were in there.”
Backup safety Hootie Jones was more blunt, admitting the secondary was “tore up” by the Tide’s passing game.
As Saban mentioned, the weakness in Alabama’s secondary comes in its depth. The Tide lost first-round pick Marlon Humphrey and team captain Eddie Jackson from last year’s team but return starters at all but one position.
Much of Alabama’s inconsistencies in the secondary can be chalked up to the youth it has across the unit. Jones and former walk-on Levi Wallace are the only two upperclassmen Alabama will have among its reserves. That means the Tide will have to rely on improvements from sophomores Diggs, Aaron Robinson and Shyheim Carter as well as early enrollees Kyriq McDonald, Daniel Wright and Xavier McKinney to provide depth.
Biggest spring surprise: The emergence of Trevon Diggs
It’s safe to say Saban’s spring “experiment” worked out as a success. While experiencing a fair share of ups and downs during camp, Diggs proved he should be a viable option at corner to start the season.
After splitting time at both wide receiver and secondary last fall, Diggs played primarily at wide receiver last season. Many figured the rising sophomore would remain at the position, but a need in secondary moved the 6-foot-2, 195-pound athlete to the defensive side of the ball.
Diggs showed both his inexperience and talent during A-Day, getting beat several times but also recording an interception two tackles and two pass breakups while playing with the first-team defense. Despite some early hiccups, his growth at the position is one of the Alabama’s biggest reasons for optimism heading into the fall.
"I feel like he picked it up quicker than I did,” Averett said. “I was kind of similar to him, I played a lot of offense in high school and just transitioned to defense when I got here, so he's definitely taken that (move) very quickly, taken to it very well."
Looking ahead: There is still work to be done and time to do it
It’s no secret Alabama will have to shape up its secondary before its opener against Florida State on Sept. 2. However, the Tide’s young players got plenty of reps this spring and will continue to improve during fall camp.
Led by returning starters Fitzpatrick, Averett, Tony Brown and Ronnie Harrison, Alabama’s first-team should be able to carry the unit over the first few games of the season. That should give the younger players plenty of time to prepare for when they are called upon later in the year.