Alabama’s defense steadily improved as the season went along in 2024, and one player whose development mirrored that was safety Bray Hubbard.
The sophomore took over as the Crimson Tide’s starting free safety following a season-ending injury to Keon Sabb and ended up as one of the team’s most-productive defenders with 57 tackles, three interceptions, two pass breakups and a forced fumble. Hubbard played mostly quarterback at Ocean Springs (Miss.) High School, and was committed to play baseball at Southern Miss before being offered a football scholarship by Nick Saban.
Speaking to reporters prior First Light Community of Mobile and Mobile Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet on Tuesday, Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said the 6-foot-2, 208-pound Hubbard has “taken his game to another level” during the offseason. He’s doing so in his second year in Wommack’s system, which is dramatically different scheme than the one favored by Saban.
Speaking to reporters prior First Light Community of Mobile and Mobile Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet on Tuesday, Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said the 6-foot-2, 208-pound Hubbard has “taken his game to another level” during the offseason. He’s doing so in his second year in Wommack’s system, which is dramatically different scheme than the one favored by Saban.
“We really challenged Bray in the offseason a year ago in the springtime,” Wommack said. “He had an OK spring. He had a little bit better fall camp, and then by the time his name was called to be our starter, he came in and had tremendous production. Bray created a takeaway in every game that he started in.
“And then I think he’s taken his game to another level this offseason, just in terms of the leadership that he carries and brings. This was a multi-sport multi-positional football player/athlete, coming out of high school, and he has really settled into the nuances that make a great free safety. And then all of a sudden you change systems, and he’s adapted really well to that. Bray is a production player, he’s a guy that can make plays for us, so I’m really excited to see what he’s going to do this year.”
Regarding the Alabama defense as a whole, Wommack said he’s seen improvement in some key areas, and expects more in 2025. Not losing any players into the transfer portal after spring practice gave the Crimson Tide a massive lift, he said.
“I thought we took steps in the right direction week after week, and specifically on defense,” Wommack said. “I thought there were things that we identified that we were not doing well enough defensively — third down, pass rush, some pressure, execution consistently, not giving up an explosive play, that we just seemed to get better and better every week, and to a position to where I thought we finished really strong defensively the last half of the season.
“And so I’m excited that we were able to retain a core nucleus of about seven or eight guys that had a decision of going to the NFL or there were guys that could have gone on to other places. We all know nowadays, that there’s pretty much a free agency at the end of every season, and we were able to retain those players. Those players have taken steps in the right direction in the offseason, so I’m excited about that.”
First Light Community of Mobile (formerly known as L’Arche), states as its mission that men and women with and without intellectual disabilities share life. The organization operates six homes and an activity center in the Mobile area. For more information, visit FirstLightCommunity.org.
