Alabama football 2025 season preview, predictions: Justin Jefferson
Returning for year three at Alabama, Jefferson originally entered this past offseason thought to be out of eligibility, but now gets one more season due to having begun his collegiate career in junior college.
With this return, Jefferson now enters the 2025 season expected to play a major role for the Crimson Tide at inside linebacker, potentially as a starter, while also changing jersey numbers from No. 15 to No. 10.
A player who could be key toward Alabama's success defensively in 2025, here is a look at everything you need to know about linebacker Justin Jefferson entering this season.
Justin Jefferson player information
Justin Jefferson career stats
A player who originally began his collegiate career in junior college, Jefferson will be entering his third season at the FBS level in 2025. With the last two coming at Alabama, Jefferson has appeared in a combined 26 games with the Crimson Tide in which he has compiled 64 tackles, 6.5 TFL, two sacks, one PD, and two forced fumbles.
Justin Jefferson 2024 stats
As mentioned previously, Jefferson's 2024 season at Alabama was a breakout campaign for the inside linebacker in which he appeared in 12 games for the Crimson Tide, three of which he started. In all, Jefferson amassed 60 tackles with 6.5 TFL, two sacks, one PD, and one forced fumble.
Justin Jefferson recruiting ranking
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Jefferson was unranked as a prospect nationally in the 2021 class, coming out of Bartlett High School in Tennessee.
After spending two seasons in junior college, Jefferson then came to Alabama as a member of the Crimson Tide's 2023 class, rated as the nation's No. 2 overall JUCO prospect, as well as the No. 1 linebacker nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. A four-star prospect, Jefferson attended Pearl River Community College in Mississippi, and committed to Alabama in June 2022.
Justin Jefferson 2025 season outlook
Coming off a breakout 2024 season, Jefferson is likely to be a key member of Alabama's defensive unit in 2025.
As to what potential role that comes in, Jefferson began last season as a rotational linebacker behind the duo of Deontae Lawson and Jihaad Campbell, but still saw a significant amount of action. With Lawson returning also, Jefferson is now arguably the favorite to takeover as the second starter at inside linebacker for the Crimson Tide, but will have to win the job over others such as Colorado transfer Nikhai Hill-Green.
Overall, expect yet another career-year for Jefferson this fall, and for the redshirt senior to start for the Crimson Tide at inside linebacker.
Justin Jefferson 2025 season prediction
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