Alabama will be unproven at the cornerback position heading into 2024, but having to rely on young players early will pay dividends down the line.
After an exodus in the secondary, Alabama brought in a pair of junior transfers in Domani Jackson and DaShawn Jones at cornerback this offseason. Jackson is expected to start at one corner spot after coming from USC. Jones, who transferred from Wake Forest, will have the opportunity to play opposite Jackson, but is currently locked in a serious position battle with true freshman Zabien Brown and others.
Outside of Jackson and Jones, no corner on the Alabama roster has taken a collegiate snap. Brown and fellow true freshmen Jaylen Mbakwe and Zay Mincey have made a lot of noise and could be key components of the defense this season. These three former 5-stars are likely to be the future face of the secondary. Though there may be a learning curve in 2024, it will ultimately make them better in the long run.
Alabama fans saw a similar progression play out with Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold, who joined the program as 5-star recruits in the class of 2021. McKinstry was asked to play a significant role as a true freshman that fall. By 2022, both players were relied upon in the secondary. McKinstry had already gotten comfortable and was one of the better corners in the SEC as a sophomore. Meanwhile, Terrion Arnold was a redshirt freshman who was still navigating the transition from safety to corner.
By their third season in the program, McKinstry and Arnold formed what may have been the top cornerback tandem in college football. They were a lockdown duo in 2023 and both became priority NFL draft choices.
Alabama’s 2024 cornerback room draws a lot of similarities to McKinstry and Arnold. By all accounts, Zabien Brown and Jaylen Mbakwe appear to be ready to contribute as true freshmen and could follow McKinstry’s trajectory.
In some ways, Mbakwe is eerily similar to McKinstry as a high school prospect. Both were incredible athletes who dominated the state of Alabama as two-way players. Though their primary position was cornerback, both were electric with the ball in their hands and impacted all three phases of the game.
Zay Mincey is a lot more like Terrion Arnold. In fact, 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins made Arnold his player comp for Mincey when scouting him as a prospect.
Mincey is a big-bodied DB with impressive athleticism, though he is built more like a safety than a corner. He very well may end up playing safety before his Alabama career is over. If he stays at cornerback, however, I think he could follow in Arnold’s footsteps. Arnold took a little longer to get acclimated to the college game but, by the time he was up to speed, he was even better than McKinstry in a lot of ways.
Though there may be some growing pains, I think Alabama will be fine at corner in 2024. Ideally, it will have a freak athlete in Domani Jackson at one corner and a technician in Zabien Brown at the other with DaShawn Jones providing quality, experienced depth. Mbakwe and Mincey can contribute when needed but will benefit from some time to learn and grow.
Regardless of how the rotation shakes out this season, this young cornerback group should develop a lot and could be among the nation’s best in 2025 and 2026.
