What is standing out about Alabama’s freshmen linebackers?

Alabama signed a trio of freshmen linebackers in the 2025 recruiting cycle. Each of which were ranked as four-star prospects.

On Friday, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer had high praise for the group of freshmen and outlined what stands out to him about their game. 

“The three freshmen, they’re gonna be really good players,” DeBoer said, “Abdul, Luke, Duke, all three of them you know making plays out there running sideline to sideline. That’s one thing they do best.”

With Alabama’s veteran linebackers — Justin Jefferson and Deontae Lawson being sidelined this spring due to injury, the three freshmen have each had the opportunity to separate themselves. 

Metz is a physical linebacker that will play inside linebacker over the course of his college career. The product of Mill Creek High School (Ga.) is a tackling machine at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds. He has the makeup and skillset to see the field early on as a true freshman.

Johnson is more of an old-school linebacker. The Georgia native can be used interchangeably at inside and outside linebacker. Johnson is listed at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds. He has the potential to be a promising player in the future and provide valuable depth as a true freshman. 

Sanders has been performing at a high level this spring according to sources. The product of powerhouse, Mater Dei High School (Ca.) has worked primarily at inside linebacker this spring. He is a hard-nosed linebacker at 6-foot-2 and 233 pounds. It will certainly be interesting to see how much he plays in Year 1. Sanders has the intangibles and instinctiveness to be a key contributor for the Crimson Tide in 2025.

The fact that DeBoer provided encouraging words this early in each of their careers has to be a promising sign for the future of Alabama’s linebacker room.

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Brody Smoot is a team reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on X, via @brodysmoot.