So, what GOAT Nick Saban is no longer in control of the Alabama Crimson Tide program? He has left the problem with the talents he had locked in. One such gem is their 2023 freshman recruit, Bray Hubbard. While Saban’s recruiting skills are far removed from catching doubts, here come more reasons that made the GOAT land Hubbard in Tuscaloosa. 

On June 5, Fan page handle Bamacfb came with an IG post in honor of the Alabama safety. The caption said it all. “Bray Hubbard is the #1 graded returning safety in the SEC & #3 in the country👀👀.” After his two seasons at Alabama, one under Saban and the other under Kalen DeBoer, Hubbard walks in with a resume of 58 total tackles. As he poised to be a major defensive playmaker in 2025, he gave a rundown on how he worked on himself over the past few months. And time for the Crimson Tide rivals to buckle up!

“Staying ready” is something Hubbard had to be vigilant about all throughout the 2024 season. The pressure gets higher for a backup. The former three-star recruit rose to fame for his athleticism and playmaking ability as a quarterback at Ocean Springs High School. He wrapped up his prep career with 97 total touchdowns. Hubbard shared his Tuscaloosa ride on the July 10th episode of The Next Round podcast with Emily Grace McWhorter.

He shared, “Well, I think, sometimes it gets hard when you’re a backup to stay focused because you’re like, I want to be playing. Like, what am I doing wrong? I want to be playing. And that’s something that you got to stay focused and diving into the playbook, making sure that you’re preparing like you’re going to be on the field. And so, that’s something that, I took heavy on myself is making sure that I’m ready.”

Returning as a junior, Hubbard is expected to take on even more of a role in the UA secondary this season. He will have to fill Malachi Moore’s spot, who is off to the NFL. Just a year ago, Hubbard and many of his teammates were navigating the challenge of adjusting to a completely new defensive system. This spring, things feel different according to Hubbard. There are a lot of returners like DE L.T. Overton, DT Tim Keenan III, among others.

So, Hubbard also wants to be his best version. And he is hitting the training room a lot harder. The safety sent a powerful message. “I think it’s definitely different. I mean, this is year three for me now. And so, you know, as you get older, your body changes. And so, it’s kind of more wear and tear, I guess you could say, now, but it’s not.” Hubbard continued to sound fiercer. 

“But, it’s just I have to make sure my body is right. And that’s something that, I’ve try to take care of is cause without your legs and everything else, your body’s nothing. So, I try to make sure that I’m, if anything’s hurting or nagging or whatever, I try to let somebody know so I can get ready to go.” Hubbard has already set the bar high for himself; he now just has to set it higher. 

With Keon Sabb sidelined, Bray Hubbard was thrust into the spotlight

Keon Sabb sustained a lower-extremity injury in the Tennessee game. Remember what DeBoer said? The head coach informed, Alabama “expect(s) him to be down for a while.” That’s when they turned to sophomore Hubbard to step into a starting role while the safety was out. Sabb played through injury but exited the game in the second half and did not return following a downfield pass breakup on Tennessee receiver Squirrel White. And the Hubbard came up with flying colors. He pulled in three interceptions and forced a fumble in six starts, which gave a glimpse of the phenom from his fierce high school days.

One could also spot Hubbard from his days lining up at quarterback while patrolling the backend of Alabama’s defense. The end result? The safety finished the game as the second-leading tackler for Alabama with nine total tackles. Besides taking up Sabb’s place and keeping the Crimson Tide boat afloat, Hubbard played in nine games on special teams as a freshman and has appeared in all seven games during the 2024 season on defense and special teams.

Bray Hubbard already sounds confident about bolstering himself up physically. As per the reports, the safety has bulked himself up and is now stands at 6-foot-2, weighing a solid 208 pounds. That makes up to a four-pound weight gain from the start of the 2024 season. No, it’s definitely not something that calls for attention, but the weight gain is likely going to boost Hubbard’s ability to continue being a physical defensive back, who can make tackles in the open field and get players on the ground, all by himself. Will he ride the wave of momentum—or wipe out trying to match the magic?