Alabama Football News

Birmingham native makes impact felt as Tide’s leading tackler vs. Vanderbilt

by
Justin Smith
November 15, 2026

Photo via Alabama Athletics

QB Reese led Alabama in tackles against Vanderbilt on Saturday, taking full advantage of his role within the Tide’s inside linebacker rotation.

Reese is not a starter for the Crimson Tide, but he is a valuable member of Alabama’s off-the-ball linebacker corps.

The Birmingham, Alabama native was flying all over the field against the Commodores in the Tide’s 21-6 win when he finished the game leading Alabama in tackles with eight. He also added one sack and one tackle for loss. Reese was asked what it meant for him to lead Alabama in tackles after the game.

“I mean, it really doesn’t mean much to me,” Reese told reporters. “I mean, I’m here for the team, man. I led the team in tackles today. Okay, cool. I want to win. That’s all I care about.”

Reese plays linebacker behind Caleb Woodson and Luke Metz. The trio makes up one of the best inside linebacker groups in the sport, and Reese is grateful to play alongside both defenders.

“It’s a blessing, man,” Reese said. “Just being a part of those two guys and the whole linebacker room, just a blessing to be a part.”

The junior signed with Alabama as a three-star recruit out of Ramsay High School in Alabama after the Tide became the first major power-four program to offer him. While leading the Tide in tackles is not something he wants to rave about, playing at Alabama as a native of the state is something he considers to be worthy of the praise.

“It means a lot,” Reese said. “Just being from Alabama, it’s crazy, and it’s big to be able to play for the University of Alabama where some people always grew up and wanted to play.”

Reese has been a consistent player for Alabama this season at linebacker.

Justin Smith( Managing Editor, Director of Recruiting )

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.