When the 2025 season began for the University of Alabama football program, it was supposed to be a season of hope, excitement and a breath of fresh air.
But a week before kickoff, the season was completely turned upside down.
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Fifth-year senior tackle Tim Keenan suffered an injury that required surgery and immediately set back Alabama’s defensive line for a few weeks.
Keenan was the heart and soul of the defense and for a team trying to find its identity, it was missing what it needed most.
Veteran linebacker Deontae Lawson was also there, but for the first few weeks of the season he was coming off an ACL injury and was noticeably slower than usual.
But in Keenan’s absence, it was supposed to be defensive tackle Jeremiah Beaman who had to step up.
The former four-star recruit from Birmingham doesn’t have Keenan’s size, but he has the power and athleticism to make up for it.
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But after the first game against Florida State, Beaman tore his ACLruling him out for the rest of the season.
Early in the season, Beaman had gained a lot of trust from defensive coordinator Kane Wommack and planned a big step of his first year, where he only played three games.
“Really happy with Beam and the steps he took this spring,” Wommack said during 2025 spring camp. “You saw pieces of him at the end of the season, even in bowl preparation and then what he was able to do and execute in the bowl game. He did a really good job for us in the bowl game. (He) took his game to another level in the spring. And so there’s a big body, a big frame that can move. He’s athletic and he operates with the consistency that we can trust. I’m excited about his trajectory.
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But now that the hardest part of recovery is over for Beaman, it’s now a matter of stacking up the reps and earning his spot in the rotation.
Wommack said last month: “I think he’s hungry. You feel a sense of urgency from him.”
Not only did Wommack praise the redshirt sophomore, but Keenan and Lawson were asked who they thought would step up during the 2026 season.
Lawson said linebacker QB Reesebut Keenan had other thoughts.
“Certainly JĂ©rĂ©mie Beaman” Keenan said. “He went down early in the season because of his ACL or something, but he’s going to come back and make a huge impact.”
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The cards seem to be calling for a big season from Beaman. This should have happened last year, but the football gods had other plans for him.
Now, as he enters the 2026 season with a clean bill of health, it’s his turn to take control of this defense.
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