Ten Alabama juniors to know ahead of the 2023 football season

With Alabama set to begin preseason football practice in less than a month, we decided to take a closer look at the Crimson Tide roster by breaking it down by class, seniors to freshmen.

We continue with the junior class, which is the team’s second-smallest group. Alabama has 17 redshirt or true juniors on its current roster, and this is one of the classes that was most affected by transfers, with several departing and four coming into the program (two via JUCOs and two via the portal). Some of the players listed below are names fans are already familiar with, having logged first-team minutes in the past, but some are newer faces set for breakout years.

Without further ado, here are 10 Alabama juniors to know in 2023.

MALIK BENSON, WR

Benson is a new addition, joining the team during bowl practice after two years at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, where he broke the school record for receiving yards with 2,152. It didn’t take long for the transfer to turn heads, doing so in New Orleans and then again during spring drills. He worked with the first-team offense in the A-Day Game and ended up with five catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. The Tide has talent at the wide receiver position, but it can use more playmakers, which is what Benson appears ready to be for this team.

JA’COREY BROOKS, WR

We mentioned Benson as a possible top option at wide receiver, and another is Brooks, who will be one of Alabama’s top targets in the passing game. He led the team in receiving scores (8) and yards per reception (17.28) a season ago while also hauling in 39 catches for 474 yards. He was one of Bryce Young’s favorite targets as a sophomore, one year after coming up with big plays late in the season when starters were injured. Brooks will now be one of the leaders of the receiving corps and will be a help to whoever wins UA’s quarterback battle this fall.

JAMES BURNIP, P

Burnip was the only Alabama punter to see the first for the second year in a row in 2022, and he produced better numbers than his 2021 campaign. The Aussie punted 44 times for 1,861 yards for an average of 42.3 yards per punt, an average that was more than three yards better than he tallied two years ago (39.13). It would be nice for the Crimson Tide if he continued that trend, but having an experienced starter back with so much turnover on offense is still a major plus. Burnip is also the holder on field goals, providing some continuity for Will Reichard.

CJ DIPPRE, TE

Dippre is one of two juniors to transfer to Alabama from a Power 5 school this year. He spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Maryland, where he appeared in all 25 games on the Terrapins’ schedules. Even though there is talent at his position in Tuscaloosa, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound junior has more experience and production than the rest of the Tide’s tight end room. Dippre is joining an offense that will be led by an offensive coordinator that loves to get the tight ends involved in Tommy Rees, and he could be a Day 1 starter out of the portal.

JUSTIN JEFFERSON, LB

Jefferson was the other transfer from a community college to join the Alabama program for the spring semester. He went through the 15 practices and tallied six tackles for the second-team defense in the A-Day Game. Surprisingly, none of them were behind the line of scrimmage, but Jefferson was a blur from the press box as he flew to the ball on several instances. The Pearl River (Miss.) Community College transfer will compete with his new teammates, including one on this list, for the up-for-grabs inside linebacker role alongside Deontae Lawson.

JAH-MARIEN LATHAM, DL

With Jamil Burroughs entering the portal, Latham is the only junior defensive lineman on the UA roster, but he would have gotten the nod here after seeing him on the field as the lone lineman in the Tide defense’s cheetah package last year. He didn’t produce huge numbers in 2022, but he made noticeable strides and routinely saw the field. At the Senior Bowl, DJ Dale said he believes his Latham is ready to take the next step, and with Dale and Byron Young no longer around, other linemen will need to step up. Latham will be one of them to watch.

JC LATHAM, OL

Latham was a no-brainer here. He started every game at right tackle this past season as a true sophomore, and he tallied 29 knockdown blocks and only allowed two sacks and 11 pressures. With Tyler Steen turning pro, some thought he might move over to left tackle and protect the blindside of whoever the quarterback is, but in the spring, he was at right tackle. Regardless of where, he will be on the field. Latham probably didn’t get enough attention last year, and while he needs to cut down on the penalties, he could be in for an All-American season.

TREZMEN MARSHALL, LB

Marshall is another new name on this list of juniors (he’s listed as a redshirt junior), joining the Tide after four years at Georgia. He played in 32 career games before transferring, including 14 of UGA’s 15 contests as a reserve linebacker in its championship-winning season in 2022, his most involved since his freshman year in 2019. Marshall dealt with two shoulder injuries and a knee setback in Athens but will look for a fresh start at Alabama. He saw some time with the ones in the spring and will continue to compete for a starting spot at inside linebacker.

KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY, DB

McKinstry stepped into a full-time role as a starter in 2022 and was Alabama’s most consistent cornerback in a season where four different players logged first-team minutes. In addition to shutting down opposing receivers, he was also one of the nation’s top punt returners, finishing second in yards per return (15.86). He earned second-team All-American recognition as both a corner and return man. With several starters leaving the secondary, McKinstry will be called on to not only continue to play at an elite level but also lead the bevy of new contributors.

DALLAS TURNER, LB

After closing out the 2021 campaign as a starter, Turner was the Crimson Tide’s first-team Sam linebacker for the duration of the 2022 season, playing in all 13 games with nine starts. He didn’t put up the same numbers as his freshman year, finishing with eight tackles for loss and only four sacks, but Turner was still impactful with more tackles (37) and hurries (9) – and finding the end zone on a fumble return. With Will Anderson now a Houston Texan, Turner will be Alabama’s most experienced outside linebacker and will look to improve his stats in Year 3.

*** Honorable mention: Kendrick Blackshire, Kneeland Hibbett, Robbie Ouzts, DeVonta Smith

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