Alabama State’s linebacker corps is entering a pivotal 2026 season, with the coaching staff pinpointing three central questions that will shape the unit’s impact.
Senior linebacker Corey Lucius is slated to anchor the group, bringing veteran presence after a solid 2025 campaign, while transfer Mitchell Robinson Jr. from Robert Morris University is expected to start in the middle of the defense.
Coach Eddie Robinson Jr. highlighted sophomore Dillyn Blakey during spring practices, praising the youngster’s agility and ability to cover both running backs and quarterbacks, traits that could diversify the defense’s skill set.
Defensive coordinator Billy Gresham, a former Alabama State linebacker, is leading efforts to improve the team’s run defense, which ranked seventh in the SWAC last year, focusing on alignment and gap control.
Spring Assessment
The combination of experience and fresh talent creates a narrative of optimism, but depth will be tested as the schedule unfolds.
Billy Gresham’s individual drills during fall camp are designed to fine‑tune the run‑stop scheme, emphasizing personnel groupings that can maximize leverage against opposing offensive lines.
While the blitz package remains a work in progress, the speed of Robinson and Blakey offers a potential boost, even as the staff evaluates how best to deploy those assets.