TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In the last three offseasons, Alabama has brought in a transfer from the previous year’s national champion. Jermaine Burton and Trezman Marshall joined the Tide from Georgia’s 2021 and 2022 National Championship sides. This offseason Alabama plucked redshirt sophomore safety Keon Sabb from a 2023 Michigan outfit that defeated Kalen DeBoer’s Washington for the national title.
Sabb hasn’t just brought his experience playing in a championship game — he logged six tackles in Michigan’s win over the Huskies. He's also impressed his new teammates and coaches with how quickly he embedded into Alabama’s system.
“I think Keon Sabb has been phenomenal,” Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack told reporters Monday. “His ability – I mean, I was so impressed even with Week 1 when he got here and we started doing some little walk-throughs and meetings and all that kind of stuff, his retention of our defense. And now, he’s starting to play with anticipation. He’s communicating at a high level. And if you can keep up with Malachi Moore, I think that’s a pretty good job there.”
Wommack’s strong remarks signify that Sabb is primed to build off of a productive 2023 campaign at Michigan where he appeared in 14 games with five starts and totaled 28 tackles, five pass breakups and two interceptions. Sabb will head into the new campaign as the No. 1 option at free safety for the Crimson Tide and will play alongside a fellow former national champion in Moore as Alabama’s two primary safeties.
Sabb’s effort and growth this fall haven’t gone unnoticed by his teammate in Alabama’s safety room. Moore has helped set the standard for Alabama’s defensive backs in recent years, becoming a permanent captain last season and retaining that role in 2024. A player with that responsibility is bound to be a good judge of character, and Moore has been impressed by what his new teammate has brought on and off the field.
“Keon is a pro when it comes to how he prepares, how he recovers and how he comes to work each and every day,” Moore said. “He’s hungry to be great. We both have the same goals and aspirations as people and as a team, as a defense. I think that’s one thing that’s great about our team is everybody is so like-minded and everybody wants to reach the top. But he’s come in and he’s done a great job, especially now being more vocal as a leader. But he’s also a guy that shows it by example too.”
In addition to stepping up in the leadership department, Sabb has also formed strong chemistry with his safety partner. Sabb and Moore will work off one another with Moore filling the Rover role while Sabb plays free safety. During practice, the pair routinely push each other to get better, and Moore said Sabb’s quick understanding of Wommack’s defensive concepts has allowed him to play with more autonomy within Alabama’s defense.
“We talk about that a lot just because the defense that we’re in, it’s a defense that allows us to go out there and make plays and be playmakers, and that’s something that me and him talk about regularly. If he sees me hesitate on a play that I should’ve made he’ll be like ‘[Malachi] got make it.’ If I see him hesitate on a play I tell him, ‘Keon go make it, just go trust yourself.’
"The trust we have on the back end, we really trust each other to do anything. So if he feels like he has a read on something and he takes it he knows that I’ve got his back on the back end. So it’s fun to play that way and it’s very free to play that way.”
Alabama’s defensive back unit gained another leader when Sabb joined the fold in 2024. Sabb has already gelled with Moore and looks poised to be a productive member of the secondary after the unit saw several key departures this offseason. The Crimson Tide has made a habit of adding former national champions to its roster. After tasting victory with Michigan, Sabb’s play will be vital in Alabama's chase for a title during the first season of the DeBoer era.
