Injury raises questions about Alabama football’s depth at tight end

Jan 1, 2024; Pasadena, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end Danny Lewis Jr. (87) warms up before the game against the Michigan Wolverines in the 2024 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama football is looking a bit thin at tight end at the start of spring football.

The Crimson Tide lost Robbie Ouzts and CJ Dippre at the end of the 2024 season after both tight ends decided to take their talents to the NFL. Alabama also lost Ty Lockwood to the transfer portal. 

Danny Lewis Jr. is out for the spring with a lower-body injury, making Josh Cuevas the only experienced Alabama tight end participating in spring practice.  

“Certainly are,” DeBoer said when asked about the Tide being thin at tight end on Monday. “We got some belief in what Josh Cuevas can do but as far as numbers and guys that have a lot of experience, we certainly are thin there. We expect Danny this summer to be back and rolling, He knows our system. It’s just a matter of like the progress that we want to see him make getting the reps that he would have been, unfortunate that he has his injury, something again going back to last fall during the season. There’s some other guys that are going to pop in there. You got Jay (Lindsey), you got Peter (Knudson) who came in. Just some other guys that are going to get a good chance to take advantage. They get to develop too.”

Alabama signed two tight ends during the 2025 recruiting cycle in Marshall Pritchett and Kaleb Edwards.

Edwards will enroll during the summer. 

The tight end position has now become a focal point for the Tide this spring. 

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Justin Smith is the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via @Jdsmith31Smith