Coach’s Take on Bama transfer DB addition: “Everything he does, he does elite.”

On Friday, Alabama made a major addition via the NCAA Transfer Portal. After losing two safeties to the portal the week prior, Kalen DeBoer and his staff landed a commitment from Penn State transfer King Mack.

Mack is a former Class of 2023 prospect who was a top-100 overall recruit. The On3 Industry Rankings tabbed him as the No. 8 safety in the country for his class. He played in all 13 games for the Nittany Lions last season, primarily on special teams.

At the prep level, Mack played for one of the top high school programs in the state of Florida: St. Thomas Aquinas. This is the same program that produced former Bama pass rusher and No. 17 overall NFL Draft pick Dallas Turner.

Roger Harriott, head coach of the Raiders, had nothing but praise when assessing Alabama’s newest addition.

“He’s an extremely explosive, intuitive player,” Harriott told BamaOnLine of Mack. “He has an uncanny desire to compete at an elite level. More importantly, his leadership skill set and his devotion to the team is off the charts. He has a strong sense of loyalty. He’s extremely confident and charismatic. The type of individual that others improve and elevate their game because they feed off his energy.

“They’re getting an individual who is fully dedicated and determined to win, on and off the field,” Harriott continued. “He’ll hold his teammates accountable and set the right example as a player but, more importantly, as a person.”

In his senior year campaign, Mack recorded 50 total tackles, 30 of which were solo. He had an interception (70-yard return), 9 pass breakups, and 3 blocked field goals/punts.

Mack played three years at St. Thomas Aquinas for Harriott, who praised him for his football IQ.

“He’s going to bring an extremely high football acumen, which you need at that position to make sure that calls get in and guys are lined up,” Harriott said. “He’s fully focused on ensuring that everybody is in the right place and committed to having a positive experience. King does a great job of understanding what exactly his assignment is for that particular play.”

Harriott added that the 5-foot-10, 188-pounder can move around to different positions in the secondary.

“King can do a variety of things,” Harriott said. “He can not only play safety, but he can play nickel and corner. With regards to special teams, we utilized him a tremendous amount on kickoff and punt returns, which I believe enabled him to be selected as our Player of the Year in Broward County. He’s just a tremendous athlete but, more importantly than anything else, he possesses the intangibles to ensure success throughout the course of the year.”

Mack will fit right into Alabama’s new defense

King Mack will be joining an Alabama defense that is now coordinated by Kane Wommack, previously the head coach at South Alabama. Wommack employs a 4-2-5 defensive scheme – referred to as “Swarm D” – which presents a lot of opportunities for someone like Mack to get on the field.

Projecting his fit into this type of defense, Harriott says that Mack fits the bill for the type of player who can make an impact in it.

“King is obviously an extremely talented player,” Harriott said. “He covers a tremendous amount of ground. He has speed. He’s gifted with a tremendous work ethic and a tenacity to compete. He’s going to fit right into that attack-oriented defense. More importantly, there are certain things that coaches can only instruct. But that’s not speed, quickness, agility, and the ability to play fluidly and change direction.

“They’re going to be able to utilize him in more ways than one,” Harriott continued. “He possesses the physicality necessary to play at an extremely high level. I wouldn’t be surprised if, at times, they roll coverage or zone blitz him or transition his position to in the box or out wide. There’s just so many things you can do with a player like him. [Bama] definitely elevated their game.”

Alabama safety transfer commit King Mack. (Credit: Steve Manuel | Blue White Illustrated)

An On3 “Reminds Us Of” section was not on Mack’s profile coming out of high school.

When asked for a player comparison, Harriott did not provide one because of how unique Mack is on and off the field.

“I’ve been doing this for over 23 years, and he legitimately is in a class of his own,” Harriott said. “There’s not a player I can compare him to… he’s just a tremendous individual. He truly loves the game, and he’s blessed with several attributes, both on and off the field. He’s just one of a kind. He makes people around him better.

“He sets a tremendous example,” Harriott added. “He’s an incredible role model. Like I said, it’s not just his talent; he inspires and motivates others to reach an elite level. He does it in a healthy, modest, humble way that really exemplifies gratitude. He’s truly one of a kind. I haven’t met anyone like that.”

Harriott continues high praise for King Mack: “The universe is the limit for him.”

Harriott coached Mack for three years while at STA (Mack played one year at Dillard High School). The two stay in contact, and have exchanged text messages since Mack entered the portal on May 2.

Knowing him so well, Harriott believes that Mack’s potential has not yet been realized.

“I don’t know if there is a ceiling for an individual of his capacity because of his personality,” Harriott said. “His innate attitude — He’s positive all the time. He’s constantly smiling. You rarely see him disgruntled. He really takes advantage of adverse circumstances and channels it into a positive, motivational moment. Handles constructive criticism really well. He doesn’t get down on himself. His parents did a great job with him, showing him the love, support, and what it means to be an optimistic individual with the right type of character traits.

“The universe is the limit for him,” Harriott added.

Harriott continued to speak highly of Mack when sharing his parting thoughts on Alabama’s new defensive back transfer commitment.

“As a person, you can describe him as grateful. When you’re someone that’s grateful, people gravitate to you,” Harriott said. “As a competitor, you can describe him as effort. You’re going to have to really match his energy and effort. That’s really hard. He truly practices like he plans to perform on game day. Whether it’s the stretch line, a certain chant… everything he does, he does elite.”

King Mack will arrive at Alabama with three years of eligibility remaining.

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A clip of new #Alabama DB transfer commit King Mack from his freshman season last year.

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