Jaylen Key already had built himself into a solid college safety by the time he joined Alabama football. He played four years just up the road at UAB, where he made honorable mention all-Conference USA in 2022.

After his senior season ended and former Blazers coach Bill Clark retired, Key wanted to find a place where he could develop for the NFL in his fifth year. He found it in Tuscaloosa.

“The whole building just really accepts you,” Key said Monday of his reasoning for choosing the Crimson Tide. “Really helps you come in and make it as comfortable as possible. That’s what really went in to everything, the people that were here. Just really preparing for the next level and the people that were here and the people are (second) to none here.”

Key joined the team in May. During preseason camp, Nick Saban said he wasn’t completely sure what the 6-foot-2, 210-pound DB’s role would be.

Still, he made it clear that Key was going to help somewhere.

“Jaylen is learning the system, but he is an instinctive player,” Saban said in August. “He does have good size. I think he can play in the deep part of the field, and I think he can play in the box. I think that he’s learning, but he’s got a great attitude and he’s smart. And I think the experience that he has, because he has played before and played some games at this level in the SEC, will really help him develop. I think he’s gonna be a guy that can really help us and contribute.”

Through six games, he’s done just that, after entering the lineup at safety in Alabama’s season-opener. Key is fourth on the team with 31 tackles on the season.

15 of those were solo tackles. Key also grabbed an interception against Middle Tennessee State.

Monday, he said the biggest transition has been how consistently tough every game is at the SEC level. He’s had to learn to prepare better mentally for games, spending more time with his playbook.

Key said he was most surprised by the non-football aspects of playing at Alabama.

“How much it means to play here,” Key said. “That’s one of the biggest things I would say, coming from UAB to here. You don’t really understand, you kind of see it on the media, you see it on the social media, you might see it on the news or whatever, but you don’t understand how much it means to actually play here until you actually put the jersey on and run out at Bryant-Denny Stadium.”

Key didn’t have any doubts about his ability to play in the SEC. He joined a talented secondary, featuring one of college football’s top cornerback duos in Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold.

The group also includes safeties like Malachi Moore, and highly touted freshman Caleb Downs. But Key has fit right in

“I kind of already knew that it would work out for me when I did get here,” Key said. “Then it’s just about putting your head down and working.”

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