Deontae Lawson feels a fellow Alabama native will step up at inside linebacker for the Crimson Tide now that he is off to the NFL.
Lawson highlighted QB Reese while talking to reporters at the NFL Combine.
“He wasn’t even traveling to the games, but he’s showing up to every meeting and just being present no matter what the situation was,” Lawson told reporters. “His role couldn’t grow that much last year, but he still took advantage. I’m definitely excited for him and the rest of the inside backers.”
Reese is a product of Ramsay High School in Birmingham, Alabama. He is returning to Alabama for his redshirt sophomore season after signing with Alabama as a member of its 2024 recruiting class.
The Birmingham native garnered some buzz at inside linebacker last spring when Lawson did not participate while he was recovering from an injury. He went on to primarily contribute on special teams during the 2025 season while being listed behind veteran linebackers; Lawson, Justin Jefferson and Nikhai Hill-Green.
At 6-foot and 224 pounds, Reese is a tad bit undersized, but he more than makes up for it with his pursuit of the football. He was known to play fast and physical as a linebacker at Ramsay High School. He was also among the best coverage linebackers Touchdown Alabama had ever evaluated. Alabama needs to establish starting linebackers at both inside linebacker positions in 2025 and trusted depth. Reese should be in this mix.
Alabama LB QB Reese has a chance to break out in 2026.
Reese garnered praise from coaches and players last spring. He was fast & physical at Ramsay HS and was elite in pass coverage.
Have him among 5 returning players poised to break out. https://t.co/EFMRmW0GNh pic.twitter.com/uM0GJx3Xc0
— Justin Smith (@Jdsmith31Smith) February 6, 2026
Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.
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