When Alabama released its depth chart shortly before kickoff against Western Kentucky, freshman cornerback Zabien Brown was listed as one of the Crimson Tide’s starters. Brown getting the nod didn’t necessarily come as a surprise after he had a strong fall camp and earned praise from Alabama’s coaches for his toughness in playing through an injury and getting reps with the first team.

While Wake Forest transfer cornerback DaShawn Jones dealt with an injury that limited his involvement in Week 1, Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said Brown more than earned his opportunity to be in the starting lineup.

“Zabien probably, from the start of spring ball all the way through fall camp, I thought was the most consistent in terms of fixing issues as they came,” Wommack said during his press conference Monday. “[He’s] consistent in his fundamentals [and his approach every single day, and I thought he was well-deserving to be able to go out there as one of the first eleven to represent our defense. Very proud of the work he’s put in.”

Brown is showing immense promise to start his college career and was one of several young defenders who saw meaningful action during Alabama’s 63-0 win over WKU. The Crimson Tide heavily rotated its entire defensive unit Saturday, which was an intentional move by Wommack.

“I think players that showed through fall camp that they could be trusted — that they were, what we call, above the line, to be able to go in during meaningful snaps during the game,” Wommack said. “There were younger players that we knew might make mistakes, but they needed to be able to work through those mistakes. As a staff, I think it’s really important early that you push yourself to get players in games because if you don’t, they can’t learn and grow from those experiences as the season goes on.”

A few of Alabama’s freshmen defenders not only got invaluable game experience but made the most of their opportunities on the field. Cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe finished tied for fourth on the team with four tackles, while safety Red Morgan logged a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.

In addition to Brown, Alabama had another freshman starter in Qua Russaw, who earned the start at the Wolf position and took full advantage. Russaw had four tackles, including one for loss and finished with an 87.6 overall defense grade and a team-best 90.6 run defense grade according to Pro Football Focus.

“I think Qua is a well-rounded individual,” Wommack said. “He’s gifted from a physical standpoint in terms of his ability to run. He can make space tackles. He can also set an edge at the point of attack. His versatility, coupled with the way he was able to handle our scheme and all the things we were going to try to do against Western Kentucky — I thought he was very impressive in the first game.”

Heading into Week 2, Russaw and Brown are setting the tone for a promising crop of young defenders that Alabama is working to develop into key depth pieces as it prepares for South Florida and beyond. However, those players can’t rest on their laurels. The Crimson Tide will be relying on younger players at several key defensive positions this season and Wommack has continued to push the younger members of his unit to not be complacent.

“They have to continue to elevate their game, their level of focus,” Wommack said. “It’s a great thing, but also a challenging thing in terms of setting standards and expectations. Those standards continue to rise as the season goes on, so those younger players will have to continue to elevate their game in order to compete at the level we’re going to need them to as we maneuver through the season.”