Alabama linebacker working on having a gameplan to get to quarterback on journey to become complete player

© Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

QB Reese is expected to step into a major role for the Alabama Crimson Tide this fall, and he is working to make sure he is well-rounded ahead of his opportunity.

Reese, who is a native of Birmingham, Alabama, is gearing up to enter his third season with the Tide. He is in a position to start or be seen as a valuable depth piece for Alabama at inside linebacker during the 2026 season.

In Kane Wommack’s defensive scheme, the inside linebacker position can handle a variety of assignments, and Reese is making sure he is prepared to handle them all. One of those assignments may be getting after the quarterback, while rushing from the edge or while blitzing. The Alabama linebacker is putting an emphasis on this part of his game, and it has led him to work with Terrence Swift.

Alabama LB QB Reese working on pass rush moves and getting after the quarterback with Terrence Swift @coachswift64. pic.twitter.com/GYyDhMN0T1

— Justin Smith (@Jdsmith31Smith) May 8, 2026

Swift, who is the owner and founder of Winning Edge Training, has worked with several players who know how to get to the quarterback. Quinnen Williams, Daron Payne, Keldric Faulk, Anfernee Jennings, Peter Woods, Tim Keenan and Que Robinson are just a few of the notable names Swift has trained in the past.

Reese got some work in with the respected trainer recently and got some tips on how he can be effective when he is called upon to get after the quarterback when he gets on the field this fall.

“He just wants to be able to rush if they put him outside or inside, just being able to go,” Swift said. “He really just wanted to work on his pass rushing, more of an understanding of what to do because he can just run upfield with speed and still win battles,” Swift said. “But he wants to get a game plan on what to do, why to do it and how to do it to be more effective because pass rushing is all about being effective because you only got a certain amount of time to get to the quarterback or the ball is gone.”

Swift is one of many who have witnessed what Reese can do on the football field. Like many from the Birmingham area, it was easy for Swift to see that Reese has great potential early on.

“He plays fast, he plays physical, and he plays to dominate,” said Swift. “QB been a guy I’ve been watching since high school at Ramsay. It’s not a shock to me what he’s doing. It just took some time for people to see what he made of, but I knew when he want to Alabama or whatever he went, he was gonna be a star at linebacker when he got his shot.”

The praise for Reese has continued to grow as the season has inched closer. Legendary Alabama football linebacker, Rueben Foster recently spoke highly on Reese while talking to Christian Miller on “The Millers’ Edge.”

“QB was a guy that I found a likening to,” Foster said. “I did not get a chance to talk with him too much, but I saw his grind. He is a wonderful guy, and he’s got that dog in him. He reminds me of myself, short, small, underrated because of his looks, but he is going to bring it. I really like that.”

Reese remains a guy Alabama fans should be excited about.