TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama’s top two cornerbacks this season each played high school football over 2,000 miles away. It was a long journey to the Southeast, but that hasn’t stopped Domani Jackson and Zabien Brown from earning starting roles and setting the tone for the Crimson Tide’s secondary this season.

Both players arrived this offseason with Jackson transferring in from USC and Brown arriving as a five-star freshman in the Class of 2024. The pair played together at powerhouse Mater Dei High School for two seasons before the elder Jackson went off to USC. Now teammates at Alabama, they combined for 64 tackles and four interceptions, causing chaos for opposing offenses under first-year defensive coordinator Kane Wommack.

Brown in particular has been one of Alabama’s breakout players this season. He's been a turnover machine with two interceptions and has the Tide's only non-offensive touchdown this season with a scoop-and-score in Alabama's win over Mercer. Jackson has been impressed by the growth he’s seen from his long-time teammate.

“Just the knowledge of his game,” Jackson said of Brown’s improvement. “Being able to break down pre-snap – before the ball is snapped, the alignment of receivers, just stuff like that. In those meeting rooms, he’s calling stuff out. He’s naming the routs, his concepts, all stuff like that. So I’m proud of him.”

Alabama reaped the benefits of its California cornerbacks this season and is hoping to continue that trend next year. The Tide added a pair of elite corners from the Golden State in the Class of 2025 in five-star Dijon Lee from Mission Viejo High School and four-star Chuck McDonald, another product from Mater Dei.

Like Brown, Jackson has plenty of familiarity with both players. He described his relationship with Lee as having played a “big brother role” and said Lee and McDonald would be able to handle physicality at the college level thanks to the competition they faced in high school.

“Coming out of programs like Mater Dei, Mission Viejo — high school ball is pretty similar to college ball when you play in that conference over there,” Jackson said. So they’re used to physicality and stuff like that.

“Just coming down and [being physical] corners. Both of them do that. DJ is obviously a huge corner. So, his length is great. He’s kind of similar to ZB. Chuck, he’s a big, physical corner."

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban created a formidable identity in Alabama’s secondary thanks to his emphasis on the position. Under Kalen DeBoer, the defensive back room has seen a West Coast infusion that is set to continue in future seasons. The Tide’s California connections have spread to the rest of the team too. Alabama signed seven players from California this cycle, including Lee and McDonald. Tide general manager Courtney Morgan’s connections to the area have been a vital recruiting tool for DeBoer, who established California connections himself at Washington.

After Brown and Jackson’s breakout seasons, the Tide has high expectations for the next crop of elite California cornerbacks. When Lee and McDonald arrive, they’ll join a still-young secondary and should have opportunities for playing time in their first seasons. They’ll also have the benefit of having a pair of teammates in Jackson and Brown who have been in their shoes and can help ease the 2,000-mile transition from California to the heart of SEC country.

“Get in the playbook,” Jackson said when asked what advice he’d give to his soon-to-be teammates. “That’s what it's all about. Learn the defense — just break down film and just make the game easier. That’s what it comes down to.”