The New York Jets’ reliance on linebackers with Alabama football roots could continue in 2023 even though former Oxford High School star Kwon Alexander remains an unsigned free agent this offseason.

Without Alexander, the Jets have a vacancy in the starting lineup at strongside linebacker.

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New York has former Theodore High School standout and Alabama All-American C.J. Mosley at middle linebacker. He made 326 tackles over the past two seasons.

The Jets have former Wenonah High School standout Quincy Williams at weakside linebacker. New York signed Williams to a three-year, $18 million contract extension in March to keep him out of free agency after he totaled 216 tackles over the past two seasons.

Twenty-one NFL linebackers have made at least 100 tackles in each of the past two seasons. Mosley and Williams are the only two who did so as teammates.

The top candidate for the strongside opening appears to be Jamien Sherwood, an Auburn safety who joined the Jets in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

“Wood’s doing a really nice job because he’s got it hard,” New York coach Robert Saleh said last week as the Jets wrapped up their offseason program. “He’s got to work between Sam and Mike, so he’s got to do two positions at once, and it’s Year 3 for him.

“He looks really good, though. He’s very smart. He’s very comfortable in the system, and he’s executing at a high level, so again excited to get pads on – not that I’m even worried about his physicality and stuff. But just excited for real football, defending the run and just to see the steps that he’s taken.”

Sherwood started the season-opening game of his rookie campaign after transitioning to linebacker. An ankle injury sidelined him for the second game, but he returned for the third game and rejoined the starting lineup for next three games until he suffered an Achilles tendon tear on Oct. 24, 2021, against the New England Patriots and missed the remainder of the season. Sherwood was playing middle linebacker when he got hurt because Mosley was sidelined by a hamstring injury.

Sherwood played in every New York game in 2022. He was on the field for 309 special-teams plays. But after playing 139 defensive snaps in five games in 2021, he played 25 in 17 last season.

Mosley said the Jets would be counting on Sherwood as they seek to maintain their status as one of the NFL’s best defenses. Last season, the New York defense ranked fourth among the league’s 32 teams in points allowed and yards allowed per game.

“I’m just seeing growth, him trusting his game,” Mosley said during the final week of New York’s offseason program. “He knows all the positions. He knows this defense inside and out. His preparation is top level as well. Just another young player that has grown every single year going into Year 3 now with this defense, learning this system, being in the NFL.

“Now it’s just time for him to make those plays on the field, so going into this camp we got a lot of players that’s looking to break out and do some good things and get some playing time, so he’s definitely going to be one of our players that we’re going to have to rely on on defense and special teams.”

The Jets will gather for training camp next month. New York will start a little earlier than most of the other NFL teams because it’s playing in the Hall of Fame Game, the kickoff to the league’s preseason schedule.

The Jets and Cleveland Browns will square off in the annual contest on Aug. 3 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.