Who Will Start Opposite of Josh Jobe This Season?
Jalyn Amour-Davis has held down the No. 1 cornerback spot opposite of Josh Jobe since the start of spring practice, but a recent injury has opened the door for some young cornerbacks. Coach Nick Saban revealed the redshirt junior has “been a little banged up” over the last couple of days.
Alabama doesn’t have a ton of experience outside of Jobe at cornerback, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have plenty of talent.
“Some of the young guys are showing promise,” Saban said. “I think they’re still maybe feeling their way a little bit, but they’ve shown some promise. Khyree, Kool-Aid, those guys, Marcus Banks has done a pretty good job. We need to get everybody out there on the field so we can work together as a unit, which is something we haven’t been able to do for the last three or four practices."
Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold, two five-stars from the 2021 recruiting class were impressive during summer workouts and have carried that momentum into fall camp. McKinstry comes to Tuscaloosa with lofty expectations after being ranked as the No. 1 corner in the country and the top player in the state of Alabama. The Pinson Valley product was awarded the state’s Mr. Football in 2020. Arnold was rated as No. 2 safety in the country, but the Florida native has been working as a cornerback during fall camp. The freshman defensive back picked off Bryce Young while working with the second-team defense in Alabama's first preseason scrimmage.
Khyree Jackson comes to Alabama as one of the top ranked junior college corners. He offers plenty of size and length with his 6-foot-3 and 197-pound frame. However, the Maryland native hasn’t played in a game since 2019 when he was at Fort Scott Community College. Jackson was unable to play any games in 2020 for East Mississippi Community College because of the COVID-19 pandemic. EMCC head coach Buddy Stephens still called Jackson, "the best defensive back I have coached in all of my 19-year history."
Marcus Banks manned the second-team corner spots for most of spring practice with McKinstry. In two seasons with the Crimson Tide, Banks has appeared in 16 games, working primarily on special teams.
If healthy, Armour-Davis is still the favorite to start week one against Miami. A veteran in the secondary in the Alabama, Armour-Davis was excellent in the spring and on A-Day. The Alabama native produced a game-high three pass breakups against the first team offense. He was awarded the Bart Starr Most Improved Player Award after spring practice.
Nicknamed the “Kick-Slide King” because of great technique, Armour-Davis will have to maintain his high level of play throughout the season to fend off a talented group behind him.
CHECK IT OUT: 100 sports records and the stories behind them
TACKLE THESE: Check Out the Best Uniforms In Each NFL Team's History
LOOK: 50 images of winning moments from sports history
LOOK: 20 Fascinating Photos From the First Modern Olympic Games in 1896