Bray Hubbard is back and he’s set to be at his peak.
After a standout 2024 season that turned heads across the league, the Alabama safety leads all returning SEC players at his position per Pro Football Focus' grading system. That’s not all hype. That’s production, backed by the tape.
In a conference full of five-star speed and NFL-caliber talent, Hubbard is starting the season with the highest safety grade in the SEC, thanks to his elite instincts, range, and ability to make plays in both coverage and run support. You can’t fake it in this conference where it’s some of the best of the best in the country, and Hubbard’s rise proves he’s the real deal.
Hubbard is a former high school quarterback turned defensive enforcer. That background shows up in his feel for the game. He sees plays before they happen, breaks on the ball with confidence, and rarely gets caught out of position.
But it’s not just the smarts. He hits. He can cover ground and make tackles in space. He’s the kind of safety who can drop back in zone on 3rd and 12 and still come downhill to blow up a screen on 4th and short. That kind of versatility is why coaches trust him and quarterbacks fear him.
The SEC is loaded with talent, and the safety position is no exception. Behind Hubbard, names like Georgia’s KJ Bolden, Mississippi State’s Jahron Manning, and Texas’s Michael Taafe all return with expectations of their own.
But none graded out better than Hubbard.
And as Alabama looks to climb in a crowded SEC, their best defensive chess piece might just be their most underrated one.
Bray Hubbard may not be the loudest name in the SEC, but he might be the most important one you’re not talking about.
He's not playing into the hype he's going out there producing. And if last year was any indication, he’s about to turn even more heads in 2025.