How Dashawn Jones signing impacts Alabama’s CB room

Alabama’s cornerback room hasn’t been lacking talent. Of the five players at the position entering Wednesday, four were former five-star recruits with the other being a former top-50 talent in Jahlil Hurley. The room has been lacking experience though. Outside of transfer Domani Jackson‘s 713 snaps and 11 starts during his two-year stint at USC, there hasn’t been a single snap played by any of the other players at the position.

In fact, all four of the others are either a redshirt or true freshman.

This is why new UA head coach Kalen DeBoer and company have been pursuing experienced cornerbacks out of the transfer portal. And with the second portal window already closing, there’s been a limited supply of potential impact players available, but on Wednesday night, Alabama landed one of those few potential impact talents in Wake Forest transfer Dashawn Jones.

The importance of this addition, especially at this point in the offseason, cannot be overstated. You must have talent to be competitive, but the experience side of things is also critical. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban understood this idea, which is why he often targeted guys such as Trezmen Marshall, Trey Amos and Tyler Steen once the transfer portal became an avenue for adding such experience at needed positions.

Jones fits the bill perfectly, too.

Over the last two seasons, the 6-foot, 181-pound defensive back started 11 games while playing 865 snaps. That includes 10 starts and 575 snaps in 2023, a season in which he totaled 37 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a team-leading three interceptions and two pass breakups. As you can see, the numbers don’t just reflect an experienced option. They reflect potential impact option as well, which is the combination that you’re looking for if you’re DeBoer and company.

Alabama’s system under new defensive coordinator Kane Wommack is going to include field and boundary principles. That means, in most cases, strength is going to be dictated by the wide side of the field (with the short side being labeled as the boundary). We’ve long believed that Jackson’s elite athleticism was a perfect fit to play the field, so whoever was targeted in the portal needed to have boundary qualities. Jones has shown that he’s capable of handling those type of responsibilities — and more.

Here’s how his snap counts have looked over the last two years, according to PFF:

Left CB: 478 snaps

Right CB: 291 snaps

Slot: 22 snaps

Box: 71 snaps

FS: 2 snaps

Jones wasn’t limited to just playing to the boundary though.

You also saw snaps where he played to the wide side of the field, and he has performed well in both roles. In other words, the redshirt junior is flexible in how he can be deployed on Saturdays. He has the athleticism needed when aligning to the wide side of the field, but he also possesses the demeanor and physicality required to be effective on the boundary side. Having that flexibility with Jones can be important if something were to happen to Jackson because Alabama’s “next man up” at cornerback may be better suited for the boundary.

Not only that, but the addition of Jones also helps Alabama’s trio of ultra-talented freshmen.

He’s an experienced leader who has played at a high level against Power Five competition, which is the example you want to set for those younger guys who are learning what it takes to have consistent success on this level. It also means that none of the first-year guys will be forced into action before they’re ready. If Zabien Brown, Jaylen Mbakwe or Zay Mincey take hold of a starting job in fall camp, it won’t be a decision made out of desperation. It’ll be because that player was good enough to take a spot atop the depth chart.

Alabama was short on cornerback numbers throughout the spring, but Jones does more than put another body in the room. He’s good enough to start and make an impact in the SEC, and like Jackson, he isn’t limited to being a one-year stop gap because he’s still got two years of eligibility remaining. That should create important competition, both in the short and long term. DeBoer and company hit a home run with this signing.

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