The 2027 Marietta, Georgia, defensive back had a torn tendon in his middle finger when he first camped in front of Alabama defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist in June. With a cast on one hand, and at times with that hand behind his back, Ward was still able to make a statement, even recording an interception during one-on-one drills.

Ideally, Alabama would be at full tilt during spring practice, but the chance to build depth is a silver lining.

Also new to the team is walk-on backup quarterback Bubba Thompson, a former McGill-Toolen star who spent the last eight years playing professional baseball. The 26-year-old Thompson was a first-round pick of the Texas Rangers in 2017, and played a total of 109 major-league games with the Rangers and Cincinnati Reds from 2022-24.

A transfer and freshman started at corner for the Crimson Tide last season, and freshman Dijon Lee and Utah transfer Cam Calhoun are impressing coaches and teammates at the start of spring camp.