5x5: The Best Alabama Cornerbacks During the Nick Saban Era

Five different ways to rate the top players at each position for the Crimson Tide during the greatest dynasty in college football history.

Jasen Vinlove / USA Today Sports

When it comes to cornerbacks, the initial ratings don't always hold up. 

When Marlon Humphrey was considered a top prospect in 2014, Tony Brown was rated by many services to be a better recruit. In 2015, Kendall Sheffield was listed higher than Minkah Fitzpatrick. One of the most overlooked players in Alabama Crimson Tide football history may be BJ Scott, who was Nick Saban's first big-name commitment and helped attract other top-end talents.  

On paper, Kareem Jackson was considered one of the lowest-rated cornerbacks Saban ever recruited to the Crimson Tide, yet he ended up being a surprise first-round pick in 2010 and is still playing in the NFL as a safety at age 35. Saban didn't recruit Javier Arenas, but helped turn him into an All-American at cornerback and as a return specialist.  

The position has been a cornerstone for the Alabama defense as having someone who can match up with the best wide receivers one-on-one allows the Crimson Tide to focus more attention elsewhere, including on stopping the run. Let's just say there's a reason why any ongoing discussion about who the best corner in the NFL nowadays has to include Patrick Surtain II, Marlon Humphrey and Trevon Diggs (who was first a wide receiver at Alabama and switched positions). 

Over the next few weeks, BamaCentral will do a position-by-position look at the Saban era, with five different ways to rate the top five players. The 5x5 series will include recruiting ratings, a key statistic (when possible), awards and the NFL draft before compiling it all for an overall top-five list. With 15 full seasons of data, there are a lot of factors that can be weighed, and debated — which we encourage. 

Up first, cornerback, and when one thinks of the position the statistic that usually comes to mind for most fans is interceptions. However, that isn’t the case during the Saban era, in part because opponents often prefer to attack elsewhere in the passing game. For a starting corner to get a pick the quarterback often has to cooperate or flat-out make a mistake. 

A good example, was the 2017 season. The Crimson Tide lined up Minkah Fitzpatrick all over the place, with Ronnie Harrison at safety and usually Anthony Averett and Levi Wallace at the corners. Who led Alabama in interceptions? Interior  linebacker Mack Wilson, who had a knack for snaring balls thrown over the middle. 

One five times has a cornerback led the Crimson Tide in interceptions under Saban:

• 2011 Dee Milliner, 3
• 2013 Cyrus Jones, 2 (tied with three others)
• 2014 Cyrus Jones 3 (tied)
• 2018 Savion Smith 3
• 2021 Jalyn Armour-Davis 3 (tied)

Instead, most of the interceptions have been made by safeties. Robert Lester has had the most pickoffs during a season with eight in 2010, and is the career leader of the Saban era with 14 (2009-12). The player Saban coached who has the most career interceptions was at LSU, Corey Webster with 16 from 2002-4. The cornerback was twice named a Thorpe Award finalist, and a second-round selection by the New York Giants in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Eddie Jackson has the Alabama season record for interception return yards with 230 in 2015, ahead of Minkah Fitzpatrick’s 186 in 2016 (both did it with six picks), and they’re also 1-2 in career yards with 303 (2013-16) and 274 (2015-17), respectively.

Here are the five categories, but note that Fitzpatrick is listed as a cornerback only in recruiting. Since he played the most at star (which is more of an interior position as the extra defensive back who takes the place of the strong-side linebacker in the nickel package), he's otherwise considered a safety in this series. 

The Best Alabama Cornerbacks During the Nick Saban Era

Five different ways to rate the top players at each position for the Crimson Tide during the greatest dynasty in college football history.

Recruiting

The top 5 cornerback prospects when they signed with the Crimson Tide:

1. Patrick Surtain II, 2018
2. Tony Brown, 2014
3. Marlon Humphrey, 2014
4. Dee Milliner, 2010
5. Dre Kirkpatrick, 2009

The next 5:

Kool-Aid McKinstry, 2021
Kendall Sheffield, 2015
Desmond Ricks, 2023
Minkah Fitzpatrick, 2015
BJ Scott, 2008

Alabama Athletics

Key Statistic

We’re going with passes broken up as the key statistic for cornerbacks:

Season

Dee Milliner, 20, 2012
Marquis Johnson, 17, 2009
Kool-Aid McKinstry 15, 2022
Levi Wallace, 15, 2017
Kareem Jackson, 13, 1988

Career

Dee Milliner, 36, 2010-12
Kareem Jackson 29, 2007-09
Simeon Castille 27, 2004-07
Patrick Surtain II 27, 2018-20
Cyrus Jones 25, 2012-15

Photo | Crystal Logiudice-USA TODAY Sports

Awards

There are too many to fully list, so this only includes players named a first-team All-American by one of the services the NCAA uses to determined consensus and unanimous status:

• Patrick Surtain II, 2020 SEC Defensive Player the Year, 2020 unanimous First-Team All-American
• Dee Milliner 2012, unanimous First-Team All American
• Javier Arenas, 2009 First-Team All American
• Dre Kirkpatrick, 2011 First-Team All American
• DeQuan Menzie, 2011 First-Team All American
• Marlon Humphrey, 2016 First-Team All American

Alabama Athletics

NFL Draft

It just worked out that the top five selections were all first-round picks:

Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos, 2021, No. 9 overall
Dee Milliner, New York Jets, 2013, No. 9
Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore, Ravens, 2017, No. 16
Dre Kirkpatrick, Cincinnati Bengals, 2012, No. 17
Kareem Jackson, Houston Texans, 2010, No. 20

T.G. Paschal/Bama Central

Overall

The best cornerbacks we've seen during the Saban era:

1. Patrick Surtain II
2. Marlon Humphrey
3. Dee Milliner
4. Dre Kirkpatrick
5. Kool-Aid McKinstry

We may be jumping the gun a little on McKinstry, but he's on target to be a first-team All-American and a top draft pick after this season. 

Alabama Athletics

Alabama Athletics

See Also: If College Football Splits, Which Teams Should Be In Top Tier