Coming into spring football, Alabama has its work cut out for it when it comes to addressing the cornerbacks room. The position group saw both of its starters from a season ago in Jayln Armour-Davis and Josh Jobe, opt to leave Tuscaloosa and enter the 2022 NFL Draft.
But with the pair dealing with injuries down the stretch of last season, there was an opportunity for other unproven players to step up. One of those players was true freshman defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry who ended up starting the remaining four games for the Crimson Tide which included every game in the postseason.
McKinstry committed to Alabama as a five-star cornerback in the class of 2021 and was able to show why he was heralded as one of the best recruits in the nation. In his 15 appearances, McKinstry recorded 25 tackles, one sack, one interception and a pass breakup as he went on to be selected to the Freshman All-SEC Team.
This spring, McKinstry is now looked upon as one of the key contributors in the secondary by the coaching staff and his teammates. Senior defensive back Jordan Battle is one member of the Crimson Tide’s defense who’s been impressed with McKinstry so far during the spring as he continues to grow into his new role.
“He’s come along very well,” Battle said to the media on Thursday. “Right now he’s learning the playbook, he’s getting more and more comfortable with the players– with the scheme. And he’s teaching all the other players. He’s been able to teach other corners the position. I love the progress of him as well.”
The other member of Alabama’s cornerbacks room that’s received his fair share of acclaim is LSU transfer Eli Ricks. Ricks transferred to the Crimson Tide back in December of 2021 following a season filled with injuries and inconsistency from the Tigers.
Ricks is a former five-star corner as well from the class of 2020 and has quickly built rapport with the team, as he gets acclimated to the new scheme.
“He’s learning the playbook. He just got here we know that,” Battle said. “But everyday he’s getting better and better. He’s learning, getting more comfortable out there, and just playing faster as he gets more comfortable. So we love the progress of him as well.”
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
