Alabama LB Yhonzae Pierre announces new jersey number for 2026
By Mark Kern
Published:
Alabama LB Yhonzae Pierre was outstanding in his sophomore year for the Crimson Tide, and will be one of the key players returning on the defense next year. While he will be back in Tuscaloosa in 2026, he will be rocking a different number as he announced that he will be taking the No. 0 after Alabama teammate Deontae Lawson wore it this past season.
“My brother built the 0 legacy,” Pierre said, per Yea Alabama. “I’m grateful for the chance to carry it forward. Let’s get it.”
Lawson will be off to the NFL, where he is expected to be a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick.
Those are big shoes to fill, but Pierre has shown he is more than capable of doing just that. He had an impressive sophomore season in 2025, as he finished with 39 tackles and eight sacks. In the Rose Bowl loss to Indiana, he had four tackles and 1.5 sacks.
While the 2025 season was a step in the right direction in year 2 under Kalen DeBoer, the season ended in a disappointing fashion in that loss in the Rose Bowl. For many of the players coming back, that is going to be motivation for the team heading into next year, and to have a guy like Pierre back in the fold is something that Crimson Tide fans can definitely get behind.
