(BCSNN) — Alabama safety Keon Sabb is back on the practice field and ahead of schedule in his recovery from a broken foot that ended his 2024 season prematurely. Sabb, who transferred to Tuscaloosa from Michigan, suffered the injury during the Crimson Tide’s 24–17 loss to Tennessee on Oct. 19 and underwent surgery shortly thereafter. He missed the final six games of the season and sat out all of spring practice.
Now entering his redshirt junior season, Sabb has returned to full-speed drills and is participating without limitations. “I feel really good,” Sabb said after Saturday’s practice. “Jeff Allen and coach David Ballou did a great job getting me ready for the season. I think I’m really close. I’m really getting there.” Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack echoed the optimism, saying Sabb is “ahead of every marker we had in the offseason for him.”
Sabb’s injury occurred a week or two before the Tennessee game, but he continued to play through discomfort until being shut down. He recorded 39 tackles, one tackle for loss, and two interceptions in seven games last season, both picks coming in the opener against Western Kentucky. His absence was felt in the secondary, which struggled to generate turnovers down the stretch.
Alabama opens the 2025 season on Aug. 30 against Florida State, and Sabb is expected to start alongside Bray Hubbard in what Wommack called “one of the best safety duos in college football.” The Tide are looking to rebound from a 9–4 finish and reassert themselves in the SEC title race under second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer.
Wommack emphasized that while Sabb’s physical recovery is on track, the mental and physical challenges of returning to game shape remain. “Sometimes those injuries, you’ve got to build a callus of coming back,” Wommack said. “That’s something he’s really pushing himself on right now to get ready for the season.”
Sabb said his motivation stems from unfinished business, and with his health trending upward as fall camp gets underway, Alabama’s defense may once again be anchored by one of its most dynamic playmakers in the country.
