Alabama took a major step toward reshaping its secondary last month by bringing in Michigan safety Keon Sabb from the transfer portal. Following Sabb's first practice in crimson and white Monday, first-year Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer spoke about what the Crimson Tide is getting in its newest defender.

“You bring a guy like him in to be an impact player for you,” DeBoer said. “His experiences, not just each and every play, but also the experiences and leadership as he’s here longer and longer that we would expect from him because of the level that he took his team to.”

Last season, Sabb started five games over 14 appearances. He tallied 28 tackles, two interceptions, and five pass deflections. According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot-1, 208-pound defender earned an 82.6 coverage grade, allowing opposing quarterbacks a 44.6 NFL passer rating on balls thrown his way.

DeBoer has first-hand experience with Sabb, as the defensive back recorded six stops and a pair of pass deflections to help Michigan defeat Washington and his new head coach 34-13 in last season's national championship game.

“He fits in well with what we’re trying to accomplish and what we’re trying to do,” DeBoer said. “The character makeup, aside from what we know as a great football player, he’s just a really good fit for us.”

Currently a junior, Sabb has had his name out there for a while. Out of high school, Sabb was ranked as the No. 97 overall player and No. 6 safety in the 2022 class. The veteran defender also has some ties to the Crimson Tide as he played alongside Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell and offensive guard Tyler Booker at IMG Academy.

After the conclusion of day one of spring practice, it appears that Sabb has already grabbed the attention of his new head coach.

“He’s been a pleasure getting to know him more and more each and every day,” DeBoer said. “Right now, he’s just going about his work, but you can tell that he has that ‘it’ factor, he’s got the leadership piece within him to where I know we’ll be counting on him this fall.”

With 14 practices still to come, it appears that Sabb has made great progress with his new team and looks to improve even more as the next few weeks approach.