Pair of Alabama defensive linemen making strides to ‘contribute’ at Bandit

Alabama linebacker Keon Keeley (31) runs drills during practice at Thomas-Drew Practice Fields in Tuscaloosa, AL on Tuesday, Oct 3, 2023.

In Kane Wommack’s 4-2-5 “Swarm” defense, the Bandit position is designed for a hybrid defensive lineman who can come off the edge and be a versatile player.

LT Overton is shaping up to be the starter at Bandit after playing in this position last season and leading the team in pressures. Wommack has referred to Overton as a ‘280-pound a– kicker’ in the past and has a lot of confidence in the senior.

As it pertains to the depth at Bandit, Wommack recently told reporters a pair of Alabama defenders have grown a lot and have made significant progress playing the position.

“Keon Keeley and Jordan Renaud are getting a bit of the reps there,” Wommack said. “Both of them, it’s fun to watch their evolution and their growth over the last 18 months. I think both of them have taken huge strides and big steps towards being able to contribute for us, and so I’m really excited about what those guys can do.”

Keeley is someone who did not see much playing time in 2024 after making the switch to bandit. At 6-foot-5 and 282 pounds, Keeley looks to be building momentum ahead of his third season in Tuscaloosa. Coaches and teammates speak highly of Keeley’s evolution.

Overton told the media that from his perspective as a player, he’s seen tremendous growth from Keeley from last year to now and believes he has a great mindset.

Like Keeley, Renaud is a redshirt sophomore. At 6-foot-4, 265 pounds, he also fits the job description of being a versatile lineman who can cause chaos. Renaud played in 11 games last season, finishing the year with 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a half sack.

Wommack said Kevonte Henry is another guy he is looking forward to seeing play in this position. Henry wasn’t able to go through spring practice.

When it comes to the bandit and the wolf position, Wommack believes a player being familiar with each position can create more depth.

“What’s nice is that you have older guys, you know, the bandit and the wolf position, they’re different in some ways, but there is enough similarity that there’s some crossover work, so we start to kind of do some of those things as well, just so that we can create enough depth. Be it a certain personnel package or just making sure that we have the depth to carry through a long season.”

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