Alabama entered the season with concerns about an inexperienced secondary. Once the team hit the field in Orlando, Fla., for the 2018 opener, communication was the issue defensively, from the defensive front through the defensive backfield. And against Ole Miss last week, the Crimson Tide gave up a 75-yard touchdown through the air on the very first play from scrimmage.

But facing all of that, Alabama’s defensive backs have responded time and time again.

“They showed up in a big way this past week,” former Alabama safety Will Lowery told BamaOnLine. “I think that we’re starting to work through some of those kinks, and I think that the secondary is benefitting from that, as well as some really stellar play from the guys at the safety position so far this year.”

The Crimson Tide’s secondary went on to hold Ole Miss quarterback Jordan Ta'amu to 58 yards and zero touchdowns through the air for the remaining 59:38 of the game. And while it was a collective effort, it was also difficult not to be drawn to the play of Alabama’s safeties.

Through three games, Deionte Thompson and Xavier McKinney have shown off their range as center fielders, intercepting a combined three passes thus far. The pair of safeties also rank first and third, respectively, atop the Tide’s leaderboard in tackles, and they combined on a big hit on Ta’amu this past Saturday that dislodged the football from his grip and onto the field turf.

“I think both those guys have played well this year for us,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. “I think they’re both playing with a lot of confidence. I think they have better knowledge and understanding. They’ve now gained a little bit of experience in three games. I’m pleased with the progress that they’ve made, and they’ve got to continue to build on that.”

As the most experienced player in UA’s 2018 secondary, Thompson has been exactly what the Tide needed as the quarterback of a defensive backfield having to replace six starters. He is still awaiting an Oct. 8 trial for a second-degree felony charge, but the redshirt junior’s focus hasn’t strayed away from the field, as he has played at an All-American level to start the season.

The Orange, Texas, native leads Alabama with 15 tackles and two interceptions. And after the Tide’s 62-7 win over the Rebels, Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe became the latest to notice Thompson’s game, comparing him to Pro Bowl safeties Sean Taylor and Ed Reed.

“Deionte got to play down the stretch last year, and I think that went a long way for him, in terms of building up some of his confidence and almost kind of setting him up to be the man this year,” Lowery said. “And he has certainly taken to that and grown in that every game since. He’s done a tremendous job. … He has shown true potential in every facet of the game in the back end.

“He’s a big hitter. He’s got a lot of range. He’s long. He’s not scared of contact. He can make the calls. He can cover guys. He does it all. And he’s obviously made some big plays for us early in the season so far. So, there’s a lot of hype for him right now, and he’s continuing to live up to it.”

Alabama safeties Xavier McKinney (left) and Deionte Thompson

McKinney’s 30-yard interception return for a touchdown at Ole Miss was the sophomore’s first pick and score of his career. The Roswell, Ga., native also forced a fumble against the Rebels that led to Alabama’s third touchdown of the game in the first quarter. He ranks just behind Thompson and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who is having a solid season as well, with 13 tackles. Linebackers Mack Wilson (12) and Dylan Moses (10) round out the top-five tacklers.

“He has matured a lot,” Thompson said of his teammate, McKinney. “X is a guy that is very important to our secondary. He’s a leader. He gets the calls across the board to everybody. Me and him do a good job communicating, and I’m proud of the progress that he’s making.”

McKinney echoed Thompson’s comments on improved communication.

“Yeah, I definitely think it’s strong,” McKinney said. “Me and DT, we always communicate. We always talk to each other about being on the same page and making sure everybody else is on the same page. I feel like it’s getting better each and every week. We’re trying to make that a big emphasis on communicating more and better so the defense can be as a unit.”

Alabama’s pass defense has allowed 201.0 yards per game through the first three contests -- all of which have been against pass-heavy teams. But the passing numbers for opponents have steadily declined each week. The Tide surrendered 252 yards through the air to Louisville in the first game of the year, 218 the next week to Arkansas State and recently only 133 to Ole Miss.

With so many questioning UA’s young secondary before the start of another title defense, it has answered those questions with improved play over the course of the first quarter of the year.

“I’ve all along had my trust and faith in them,” outside linebacker Christian Miller said. “I said that during camp. It’s nice to see it just playing out that way. Now everybody else can see all the hard work those guys have been doing. They’re playing great, so as long as they keep doing that, we’ll have a good chance of being really good. I credit those guys for the sacks I got.

“If it wasn’t for them and the corners with their great coverage it wouldn’t be possible. They’ve been doing a great job.”

Tasked with starting an entirely new defensive backfield this fall, it wasn’t going to be easy for Alabama to replace Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ronnie Harrison and other first-teamers. As starting safeties in 2017, Harrison (74) and Fitzpatrick (60) were first and fourth, respectively, in tackles. But the way the Tide has played so far, especially at safety, has proven it was never lacking talent, only experience.

Trevon Diggs has played well at both corner and Star. As has Shyheim Carter, who has seen the field at both Star and safety. Against Ole Miss, we saw two newcomers in Saivion Smith and Patrick Surtain II in the mix at corner, as well, completing a group that is coming together as the Tide’s games start to get tougher. To this point, though, the secondary has answered every hit.

“I think that they’re feeding off of each other, and I think this secondary is going to continue to do that and this defense, overall, is going to continue to do that,” Lowery said. “Over the last few games, we’ve had some guys really stepping up and making big-time plays, and I think that the other guys are starting to feed off of that and get more confident in themselves as a unit, getting more chemistry together.”

But a big reason for that is the consistent play of Thompson and McKinney in the back end.

“I think that those two guys could go on to become one of the best tandems we’ve had at Alabama and as good as any,” Lowery said. “And we’ve had some really, really good ones.”

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).

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