Alabama Football 2026: Meet the New Defensive Backs

Alabama defensive backs Josh Jobe (28) and Patrick Surtain, II, (2) against Duke in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. , on Saturday August 31, 2019. Db001 | Mickey Welsh / Advertiser via Imagn Content Services, LLC The secondary is likely Alabama’s strongest and most veteran position group going into 2026, as they return all five starters at corner and safety, so there’s going to be a lot of “this guy is going to be a backup this year” in today’s article.

However, in 2027, Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb will both graduate, while Zabien Brown is on track to being an early exit to NFL. So building that depth now is critical for the future. And as fortune may have it, the Tide brought in a big haul of exceptional talent, particularly focusing on height and length across the entire secondary.

So let’s take a look at all of the new guys. As always, all ratings will be from the 247Sports Composite, though I’ll mention if the other services have wildly differing opinions. And in case you missed it, you can go check out all of the previous Meet the New Guys articles here .

Zyan Gibson Position: CB Stars: 4 Hometown: Gadsden, AL National Rank: 68 Position Rank: 8 Height: 6’0” Weight: 194 As a high 4-star prospect from in-state, Gibson was one of Alabama’s very first recruiting targets, and committed to the Tide way back in 2024. He’s an elite track star, pulling off a 10. 53 100m dash.