Alabama DL Tim Keenan down 28 pounds prior to potential impact season

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – For the second time this preseason, Alabama head coach Nick Saban has spoken highly of a couple of defensive linemen, those being returning starters Jaheim Oatis and Justin Eboigbe. But after Saturday’s second and final fall camp scrimmage, Saban brought up a third player, one that has only played in two career games in as many years.

Redshirt sophomore Tim Keenan has had a “really good camp,” according to Saban, and was a standout in this past weekend’s closed scrimmage, per those in attendance. Keenan saw reps at nose tackle with the Crimson Tide’s first-team defense, playing in between Oatis and Eboigbe and ahead of senior Tim Smith, who Saban said has been “up and down” this fall.

“I’m never satisfied with how the defense plays,” Saban said Saturday. “We gave up some plays today early in the scrimmage. We’ve got to be able to play the run a little bit better. We’ve got to be stronger at the line. We’ve got to strike out of our hips, control blockers, get off blocks better, fit the runs better. We’ve got a lot of things we can improve on. 

“Jaheim Oatis has done a really good job. Tim Keenan has had a really good camp. Justin has done a really good job. We need more guys to play with more consistency. Can’t make mistakes in pass-rush lanes. Can’t make mistakes when we’re running stunts and games and pressures. That’s one thing we need to continue to work on cleaning up.”

Keenan is entering his third year in the program and appears poised to take on a much larger role for the Alabama defense. He saw the first minutes of his college career last season against ULM and later played against Vanderbilt but did not record any stats. A former 4-star recruit out of Birmingham, Keenan was rated the No. 13 player in Alabama and the 37th best defensive lineman in the 2021 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Keenan has emerged as a potential key contributor this preseason after transforming his body – dropping 28 pounds to now be listed at 6-foot-2, 315 on the Tide’s official roster.

“He’s a big body, but he’s a lean big body,” Eboigbe said of Keenan on Tuesday. “He’s lost a lot of weight. He’s strong. He’s powerful. Somebody who shows who he can be. He’s a great guy on the field, off the field. That’s all that you can ask for. He’s very dependable.”

Saban has expressed the need for other defensive linemen to step up ahead of the season, and while Keenan appears to be doing just that prior to Year 3 at Alabama, the Crimson Tide still has other holes to fill in its rotation with just 10 days before the start of the 2023 campaign.

“It’s always a challenge,” Eboigbe said. “When you’re coming straight out of high school, your first year, sometimes guys need time to mature, to gain their consistency, their trust. One of the best things about camp is you get to be around your teammates, you get to put the work in each and every day. 

“You have practice every single day, so you can try to correct the mistakes that you have. And I feel like we’ve got ourselves strong. I feel like at some point this season, we’re going to rely on them.”

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