Exactly 321 potential future faces of the league were invited to the NFL Combine on Feb. 13 in Indianapolis, including eight from Alabama who helped lead the Crimson Tide to a 12-2 record and an SEC Championship title. The season culminated with a loss in the College Football Playoff semifinal and the No. 5 spot in the final AP Top 25.
The 2024 NFL Combine drills begin on Thursday, but players begin interviews on Wednesday.
Before the Crimson Tide open up about themselves and compete in some variation of a 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, 60-yard shuttle, 3-cone drill, vertical jump, broad jump, bench press and individual position drills, here’s a quick synopsis of each Alabama prospect:
Cornerback Terrion Arnold led Alabama with five interceptions this past season, when he was named a first-team All-America by the Associated Press, and second-team selection by the American Football Coaches Association and The Sporting News. The redshirt sophomore was also named All-SEC by league coaches, and was a second-team pick by media as he led the conference with 16 passes defended.
Edge rusher Chris Braswell finished second on the team and fifth in the conference with eight sacks, and logged 42 tackles, including 10.5 for loss and an SEC-best three forced fumbles. He also blocked a kick and logged a pick-six. Braswell was named to the All-SEC Second Team.
Wide receiver Jermaine Burton led Alabama in touchdowns and receiving yards with 39 catches for 798 yards and eight touchdowns. He had four catches for 21 yards in the season-ending Rose Bowl loss to Michigan.
Edge rusher Justin Eboigbe was on and off of the field in his first four years at Alabama, but he truly broke out this past season. In 2023, he recorded career-highs in every stat category, including 11.5 tackles for loss (10th-best in the SEC) and seven sacks (eighth-best in the conference). He was named to the All-SEC First Team.
Safety Jaylen Key transferred to Alabama this past offseason after an extremely successful year at UAB. In 12 games this season, he recorded 60 tackles and an interception.
Offensive tackle JC Latham started two seasons at right tackle for the Crimson Tide, and was named a second team All-American by the Associated Press, the FWAA, The Sporting News, and Walter Camp for his play in 2023. He was selected as a First Team All-SEC player by both the AP and the league’s coaches.
Running back Jase McClellan finally stepped into a starting role as a senior in 2023 after multiple injury-riddled seasons, and made the most of it. On 180 carries, McClellan amassed 890 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, leading the Crimson Tide in both carries and rushing yards.
Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry finished second on the team behind Arnold with seven pass breakups. He also totaled 32 tackles this season. His numbers dipped a bit from last season, as opposing quarterbacks didn’t throw toward him as often due to an elite sophomore campaign. Nevertheless, McKinstry was still named an AP All-American.
Kicker Will Reichard finished his collegiate career as the NCAA’s all-time points leader with 547 thanks to 84 field goals and 295 PATs. He accumulated 121 points in his final season on 22-of-25 field goals and 55 PATs in as many tries.
Edge rusher Dallas Turner was widely expected to be the successor of now-NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr. to start this past season, and he most certainly didn’t disappoint. The SEC Defensive Player of the Year and Consensus All-American finished 2023 second in the conference in tackles for loss (15) and first in sacks (10).
