Two Alabama Freshman Named to Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Watchlist

On Tuesday, two Alabama football players were named to the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Watchlist. The Tide had one freshman selected from both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball for this prestigious watchlist.

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Freshman offensive lineman Micheal Carroll and Freshman cornerback Dijon Lee were both named to the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Watchlist on Tuesday, with both of these highly touted five-stars from the Tide's 2025 class expected to do big things this season.

Alabama's standout sophomore receiver Ryan Williams landed on the preseason watchlist for the award last season before finishing as a finalist, with Texas' edge Colin Simmons ultimately winning the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award.

Since the award was established in 2019, only two Alabama players have earned the title of Freshman of the Year. Former Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. won the award in 2020 and was subsequently drafted as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. In 2023, former Alabama safety Caleb Downs, who transferred to Ohio State after his freshman season, received the award.

Both of these freshmen are great depth pieces to their position rooms, with Carroll being a great piece to plug in if any injuries occur, with many analysts and coaches comparing the former five-star lineman to former Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Booker, who spent three years with the Tide before being selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Carroll has been solid in practice, with DeBoer bragging about the lineman back in the spring, mentioning him and another freshman lineman, Jackson Lloyd, who DeBoer said "are going to be phenomenal football players." DeBoer added, "They actually were really impressive, I think, in how far they've come. I'm excited about their futures for sure."

Lee has been consistently praised by this coaching staff, with the former five-star cornerback being a legitimate contender to win the starting job at cornerback, with Alabama's defensive coordinator Kane Wommack telling the media that "I see him as a starter in our defense. So, really impressive. That's two years in a row. We've had a young freshman who Mo Linguist has done a tremendous job of developing into a starter-level player for us. Excited for Dijon and what that does for our defense."

There's a good chance that either one of these players could bring home the honors of Freshman of the Year. Still, Lee definitely has the best chance with the 6-foot-4, 202-pound defensive back already seeing a path to playing time and possibly starting due to his freaky athleticism and long frame.

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