Alabama football returns multiple freshmen from the 2024 season who are in line to be even more impactful in year two.
A couple of those players were key contributors in 2024, and the Alabama faithful fell in love with them. Others flashed their potential and earned more snaps as the season progressed.
Here is a look at five of the Tide’s returning freshmen, who should be key players for Alabama in 2025:
Ryan Williams
Williams captivated the college football world early in the season as the 17-year old freshmen phenom, who should have been playing high school football. He started his freshman campaign on fire. He pulled in 16 receptions for 462 yards and five touchdowns and looked to be en route to breaking some freshman season records. However, his production cooled off after putting up 177 yards against Georgia. He did not record another 100 receiving-yard game the entire season and eclipsed 60 yards only once. His numbers were still stellar for a freshman, ending the season with 865 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 48 receptions. Ryan Grubb’s return to Tuscaloosa and his track record of spreading the football around and getting production out of multiple wide receivers give even more hope for Williams’ future in Tuscaloosa along with his personal development as a wide receiver and college football player.
Zabien Brown
Similar to Williams, Brown started day one in Tuscaloosa. This was no surprise to anyone, who watched Brown at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. The 2025 recruit was the personification of a technically sound defensive back. He played with a level of confidence that oozed out while watching his film. He was fluid in hips, stayed square to the line of scrimmage as long as possible, knew when to flip his hips and open gate and could get his head around to play the football. This combined with some great ball skills made him a great get for the Tide when they signed him. This same skill set allowed him to not only play in year one but come up big. He finished the three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and two pass deflections. He should be more confident in year two.
Zavier Mincey
Mincey enjoyed more playing time as the season progressed in 2024 while switching from playing cornerback to safety. This is one of the advantages of the Kane Wommack Swarm Defense. The secondary positions are very versatile. Cornerbacks and safeties can be cross-trained in this system very effectively. He appeared to gain more and more of Alabama’s defensive staff’s trust as the season moved forward, ultimately starting the final game of the season at safety with Malachi Moore out. He turned in his best performance in his first-career start with seven total tackles and one pass breakup. The 6-foot-3, 204-pounder has now fully made the transition to safety and a full offseason with that in mind could pay dividends for the Florida product.
Rico Scott
Scott enjoyed very limited playing time in year one in Tuscaloosa. He only played four games and is eligible to receive a red shirt. Scott did take advantage of his limited opportunities. He caught two passes for 14 yards against Wisconsin and more than doubled those numbers against Mercer with 37 yards and a touchdown. This production put him in a position to earn meaningful snaps in the ReliaQuest Bowl. He finished the bowl game with 37 total yards. He has flashed an ability to be an explosive playmaker which was his calling card as a recruit. He is expected to be in the mix in the Tide’s wide receiver room.
Jaylen Mbakwe
Mbakwe is making a transition from cornerback to wide receiver this offseason. This process started during ReliaQuest Bowl prep. The move is a major one for the former cornerback, but he has a track record of success at the position, dating back to his time at Clay-Chalkville High School. One could say he was more dangerous on offense than defense during his time as a Cougar. Mbakwe will have an opportunity to make an impact as a wide receiver and in the return game in 2025.
Honorable Mention: Jeremiah Beaman
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