Alabama football’s second-year defensive back, Zabien Brown is a part of the growing California to Alabama trend under Kalen DeBoer.
The trend is one Zabien Brown feels Bryce Young paved the way for.
Brown and Young are both products of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. Both are also former five-star recruits.
The Crimson Tide had to beat out USC, Ohio State and several other prominent programs to pick up a commitment from Brown. He chose to stick with the Tide after Nick Saban retired and Kalen DeBoer took over. This choice paid dividends for the California product as he stood out as a true freshman.
This is a path Young inspired for Brown at Mater Dei.
“Personally for me, it was Bryce just seeing what he did,” Brown said when asked who started the California to Alabama recent pipeline. “Always looking up to him and seeing his posters in the buildings, in the hallways. That was just who started for me, who I looked up to.”
Brown pulled in three interceptions as a true freshman en route to earning freshman All-SEC honors.
However, the Mater Dei product remains hungry for more success.
“I would say I think I had a good start to my career,” said Brown. I’m just looking forward to keep going and keep building.”
GET THE BEST ALABAMA FOOTBALL INSIDER INFORMATION, MESSAGE BOARD ACCESS, AND RECRUITING COVERAGE TODAY! SIGN UP HERE TO UNLOCK OUR SUBSCRIBER ONLY CONTENT!*
Justin Smith is the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via @Jdsmith31Smith
