TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — LT Overton perfectly fits the mold of a Bandit.

Overton, one of several defensive players who transferred to Alabama this offseason, is enjoying a bright start to his time in Tuscaloosa. He made a few strong plays in Alabama’s recent scrimmage playing the Bandit position defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s setup. The role calls for a bigger defensive end who has the power of a defensive tackle and the athleticism and versatility of a defensive end.

Wommack isn’t surprised by Overton’s early success. Following Alabama’s 11th fall camp practice he called Overton a “280-pound ass kicker” along Alabama’s edge.

“LT has a great skill set,” Wommack said. “You can tell he’s honed in his pass rush ability. He’s got really good complementary answers to his fastball. He’s a great speed-to-power rusher. He’s done it probably a million times over his life and he can feel whether the offensive lineman is on his top hip or his bottom hip and know how to counter back inside or outside. He’s a really great on-body rusher so when he gets into the man he knows how to counter back very quickly, and he’s 280 pounds and can move his feet so those things are really challenging for an offensive lineman to deal with.”

Overton is relishing both his new role and the changes he’s made to his game since joining Alabama. A former five-star recruit in 2022, Overton spent two turbulent seasons at Texas A&M, where he saw his playing time slashed as a sophomore after getting a decent amount of run in his true freshman season.

After entering the transfer portal in December, Overton quickly gravitated towards Alabama. He considered Alabama in high school and had a relationship with defensive line coach Freddie Roach. When he took a visit to Alabama while in the portal, one of the Crimson Tide’s defensive line veterans also showed why Tuscaloosa was the place for him to take his talents.

“I really felt at home,” Overton said. “As soon as I got to town and connected with Tim Keenan III, he’s really a family man. I knew just based off his actions and how he treated me as soon as down I knew I was going to be a part of the family coming here.”

Now that he’s a part of Alabama’s family, Overton set about changing his game to fit the Bandit role that he was projected into. When he was with Texas A&M, Overton was used as more of a speed edge. He was smaller in stature at around 250 pounds and often had to drop back into coverage rather than solely focusing on the pass rush side of his game.

Overton has changed his defensive philosophy in his new Bandit role. He added weight and now stands 6-foot-5, 284 pounds. He utilizes a combination of raw power and finesse moves and feels a lot more comfortable within the Crimson Tide’s system.

“I feel like my rushing game [got] 10 times better when I came here,” Overton said. “Because now that I am more man down, hand down. I have that ability to be able to rush the passer instead of having to do 50-50 drops every now and then.”

While some players might struggle to fill the long list of requirements to play the Bandit position — which includes being able to line up in a four, five or nine technique — Overton relishes the potential growth he can see with those added responsibilities.

“Just how flexible it is,” Overton said. “Even though I do have my hand in the dirt I can still stand up because some plays I will be dropping. Some plays I will have to fold into the B gap. But it just brings a lot of versatility to my game.”

Overton said that he felt great about his performance in Alabama’s closed scrimmage on Saturday and wants to continue growing his game as the preseason wears on. While he didn’t have the smoothest start to fall camp, missing the first two days after not feeling well, Overton has settled into a routine and strong performances on the field have followed.

“Those first two, three days are always going to be a push,” Overton said. “It’s all about mental game but as soon as you break stride and you finally get to Day 8, Day 9, you get your plan down you know what you’re going to do every morning when you come and you’re ready.”

After a rocky start to his college football career, Overton seems to have found the ideal role for his talented skillset. Overton's early performances suggest that the former five-star could be a gem for Alabama. Wommack's latest ringing endorsement shows that the first-year defensive coordinator is confident Overton will continue using his 284-pound frame to kick ass once the Tide kicks off its season on Aug. 31.