Five Alabama Players Set to Miss Some Time During Spring Practice, Per Reports

Alabama football spring practice is set to start next week for the Crimson Tide, but five players won't fully participate in spring practice, according to a report by Alex Scarborough of Bama 247.

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Starting in the secondary, Scarborough reported that star safety Bray Hubbard and star cornerback Zabien Brown will be limited to start spring ball. Hubbard was an All-SEC selection and was named a Third Team All-American in 2025. He opted to return to Tuscaloosa for his senior season, rather than declaring for the NFL. Brown was named Freshman All-SEC in 2024 and recorded two pick-sixes as a sophomore against Tennessee and Oklahoma. He returns as one of the top cornerbacks in the country for his junior season.

The Tide has plenty of depth in the secondary, with starting safety Keon Sabb and starting cornerback Dijon Lee returning to the Tide. Behind Alabama's starting unit, the Tide returns former four-star cornerback Chuck McDonald, and safeties Zavier Mincey, Ivan Taylor, and Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. New to Tuscaloosa in the spring are five-star cornerback Jorden Edmonds, four-star safety Jireh Edwards, four-star cornerback Zyan Gibson, JUCO transfer Nick Sherman, and Mercer safety transfer Carmelo O'Neal.

Three players will miss spring practice entirely, according to Scarborough's report. First, Freshman All-SEC defensive lineman London Simmons will miss spring practice, DeBoer told Bama 247.DeBoer also said the injury will not affect Simmons's availability for the start of the season. He played in all 15 games for the Crimson Tide's defense, making two starts. Alabama will also be without backup offensive lineman William Sanders, who played in all 15 games and saw action at left guard in 11 games for Alabama last season, and is expected to compete for a starting spot on the Tide's offensive line. Scarborough's report said Sanders would be ready for the fall as he recovers from a back injury.

Alabama will also miss reserve tight end Danny Lewis, who dealt with injuries last spring and during the 2025 season, only seeing action in six games.

Alabama will start spring practice on Sunday, March 8.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.