On Thursday, Alabama linebacker Yhonzae Pierre announced his return to the Bama locker room. However, this time his announcement had little to do with him or his time at Tuscaloosa. It was all about paying tribute to his teammate Deontae Lawson, and him accepting the forbidden fruit!

“My brother built the 0 legacy,” I’m grateful for the chance to carry it forward,” Pierre shared, according to Yea Alabama. “Let’s get it.”

So, Pierre is moving on from his #40 jersey to the #0 jersey, which was donned by his former teammate Deonte Lawson. For years, the #0 jersey was like a forbidden fruit; no one wanted it because it didn’t fit the apparent “me-first” attitude. However, Lawson broke the shackles and became the first Bama player to wear #0. Now, the 6’2 “, 228-pound linebacker is bidding farewell to the locker room as he declares for the draft.

For sure, the fans will miss him. Lawson is among the 16 players in Bama history who have earned a two-time team captain honor. He has been a starter for the past three seasons, making significant contributions to the defense. Despite sustaining an ACL tear that put an end to his 2024 season, the fifth-year player bounced back strong in the 2025 campaign.

This past season, he led the LB room with 89 tackles and four pass breakups, along with two fumble recoveries. He pressured the quarterback with one QB hurry and 1.5 sacks for negative four yards.

His Alabama tenure saw him register 283 career tackles, ranking tenth on the Tide’s all-time list. He also earned the All-SEC Second Team honor, along with being a finalist for both the CSC Comeback Player of the Year and the Butkus Award. This award is given to the nation’s top linebacker.

Not just that, he was further on the watchlist for the Bednarik Award and the Nagurski Trophy.

At a time when Lawrence is moving to the pro league, his teammate Pierre is making sure that his legacy lives on through his jersey number.

Yhonaze has been part of the Bama locker room since his freshman year. Having redshirted his freshman year, he saw significant playing time next season. In eleven games, he recorded six tackles, a pair of pass breakups, and a quarterback hurry. With his potential on display, he received major reps in the 2025 season.

Jah-Marien Latham and Qua Russw sustained neck and foot injuries in the early weeks of the season. With that, Pierre emerged as one of the valuable players on the defense.

Star LB Deonte Lawson also praised the fellow defensive back for his perseverance.

“He taking strides in the right direction for sure,” Lawson told reporters in October 2025. “He coming to work every day. I just try to bring guys with me. I’m pushing Yhonzae every day to be a better practice player.

“But when that opportunity come, he shows up, we just going to keep getting better. He’s going to have more reps, and I know he’ll be ready to step up to the challenge.”

Having already recorded 11 tackles, three QB hurries, and a sack during the first four games, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack knew that Yhonzae had the potential. “He just keeps getting better and better.”

Yhonzae Pierre’s return brings relief to Alabama defense

Over the season, Pierre became the Tide’s top pass-rusher. He had 12 starts, recording 52 stops. That also included a team-high 14.5 tackles for loss (-102 yards) and eight sacks, resulting in a loss of -81 yards. His performance earned him numerous honors, including the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week against the Tennessee Vols. In addition to that, he was named to the Bednarik Player of the Week honor as well.

At a time when head coach Kalen DeBoer’s defensive unit has taken a hit, Pierre’s return to Tuscaloosa strengthens the defense. Noah Carter, Qua Russaw, Keon Keeley, and Tim Keenan III are headed to the portal. While OT Overton has exhausted his eligibility. So far, Bama has lost at least eight players on the defensive unit.