Kalen DeBoer knew what one of the major concerns was for Alabama football entering preseason camp.

“Our defensive backs, you guys bring up the questions too,” DeBoer told reporters after UA’s fourth practice on Sunday.

The questions make sense. Alabama lost one of the greatest DB coaches of all time when Nick Saban retired in January, and lost much of its talent from the group with Terrion Arnold an Kool-Aid McKinstry off to the NFL and Caleb Downs leading a plethora of transfers.

Speaking at SEC Media Days in his new role with ESPN, even Saban was a bit worried about how the new group would perform. Besides Malachi Moore, Southern Cal transfer Domani Jackson and Wake Forest transfer DaShawn Jones, the Crimson Tide is young, and will be relying on freshmen out of necessity.

Through four days of camp, DeBoer himself didn’t seem too concerned about the youngsters’ ability.

“Those guys are just rising up,” the coach said. “We’re developing some really good young depth, and they’re going out there and competing and making plays.”

DeBoer spoke especially highly of Zabien Brown. The five-star prospect from California began impressing in the spring, after early-enrolling.

“He just doesn’t feel like a freshman out there,” DeBoer said. “He does not. We felt that way this spring and he just followed that up with another big jump like you really would expect. He’s just out there, I don’t think of him as young or anything like that. I think of him as a guy who just fit right into the defense and I’m proud of the way he just approaches it. He doesn’t take anything for granted.”

During Sunday’s media viewing periods at Alabama’s practice, Brown appeared to have a cast on his left hand. DeBoer said the issue was a short-term problem, with the youngster participating in practice anyway.

Brown isn’t the only freshman catching eyes in the secondary. Fellow cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe has also earned praise from the coaching staff.

The five-star Clay-Chalkville product has taken plenty of reps through four days. Defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist said those were helping Mbakwe, who primarily played quarterback his senior year of high school.

“Today we had a lot of reps between (wide receiver) Ryan Williams and Jaylen Mbakwe,” Linguist said Thursday. “What’s gonna happen with that over time? Those guys are just gonna get each other better. Those are two five-star caliber athletes who need the work. They need the daily competition.”

Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack agreed, saying he felt Mbakwe had made as large a jump as anyone on the team from spring to preseason camp.

“I think one of the biggest intangibles about playing the defensive back position is having an edge and just a confidence in the way that you play the game,” Wommack said. “And anybody that’s watched Bak in the last few years of high school, know the way he plays the game. He really carried his team right to a state championship. I’ve been so impressed with just his level of confidence, not really playing the position day in and day out in high school.”

Alabama is just getting started with camp, with the season-opener set for Aug. 31 against Western Kentucky. There’s time for players like Brown, Mbakwe and Zavier Mincey to get reps and continue to develop into major contributors for their freshmen campaigns.

It’ll take until games begin to find out whether they’re ready. But their coach didn’t seem as concerned as the outside world.

“There’s a whole group of guys out there, we just feel like they’re sophomores,” DeBoer said. “I won’t say juniors or seniors yet, but they’re mature beyond the amount of reps they’ve had the chance to play through four practices.”