A football team can never have enough cornerbacks, especially if it’s led by secondary guru Nick Saban.

And it’s not too surprising that in a year in which Alabama returns both of its starters and a handful of blue-chip recruits, the Tide went out and nabbed two more defensive backs from the transfer portal. For the second fall in a row, it looks like Alabama will be sorting out its rotation through the early season.

By mid-October 2022, Terrion Arnold had beaten out Eli Ricks and Khyree Jackson to pair opposite Kool-Aid McKinstry as UA’s boundary corners. Arnold, in his second season in Tuscaloosa, was ninth on the team with 34 total tackles across 11 games. He also had eight pass breakups (second-most to McKinstry’s 15) and one interception.

“I love Terrion. The way he comes to practice every day. He brings a lot of energy and when I’m down, or I’m tired, I look at ‘T’ he picks me up. I pick him up. It’s really like a brotherhood,” senior Malachi Moore said. “I like the way that he plays the position. He’s a dog like you said. He comes out there with a ‘I’ma strap you up’ mentality and it’s gonna be play in and play out.”

With Ricks, himself an LSU transfer, gone to the NFL and Jackson departed to Oregon, the Tide were active in the spring by acquiring UAB’s Jaylen Key and Louisiana-Lafayette’s Trey Amos. That move, a potential shift from Saban’s usual portal strategy, likely puts Arnold in a situation akin to last year.

Amos made 35 tackles with eight pass breakups for the Ragin’ Cajuns as a redshirt sophomore. He was among the players that flashed during UA’s Fan Day. Key, who played safety for the Blazers, is part of the versatility Saban is trying to add to the unit. Key could be featured near the line of scrimmage or up high and with his instincts, Saban said at the beginning of camp Key would have “some role.”

“I think anybody that gets experience playing, which (Arnold) got some experience last year, I think he’s much more confident,” Saban said Tuesday night. “I think he has a better understanding and probably a little more maturity about what he needs to do to go out there and perform well. And there’s competition at the position. He, Kool-Aid, Trey are all doing a pretty good job out there so I think that’s good for everybody in terms of their improvement as well.”

Arnold has also taken snaps at star and he said he feels “comfortable” playing both positions. Along with freshman Caleb Downs, the rising DeVonta Smith, the returning Moore and other depth options, the battle for No. 2 cornerback will go a long way to determining how Saban deploys his secondary. Previously, Saban has said he wanted the best five options out there together.

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Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].