Kaleb Edwards did not grow up in Iron Bowl country. And as the Alabama football freshman tight end prepares for his first taste of the Auburn rivalry, that could be a good thing.
Edwards is from El Dorado Hills, California, 29 miles outside of Sacramento. If Alabama tight ends coach Bryan Ellis were to ask Edwards about the last 10 editions of the Iron Bowl, Edwards “might know about two of them,” the coach said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I hope you look up Saturday night and it's paid off for him that he really didn't know what he was walking into,” Ellis told The Tuscaloosa News.
Naivety has not been a problem for Edwards. The freshman arrived in Tuscaloosa two months before the start of fall camp. Instead of redshirting, which his family prepared Edwards for, the 6-foot-6 1/2, 265-pound mammoth of a tight end was thrown into the fire.
Eleven games into Edwards’ collegiate career, he has played 244 snaps, per Pro Football Focus: fourth-most by any member of Alabama’s 2025 recruiting class and second-most in the Crimson Tide’s tight end room. He has six catches for 100 yards and a touchdown: a 6-yard score from quarterback Austin Mack.
As Auburn approaches, Edwards’ mindset isn’t changing. His preparation isn’t changing, even if his role is expected to.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAlabama starting tight end Josh Cuevas is out with an injury for the second straight game. Edwards will headline an Alabama tight end room without a single player who has taken a snap against Auburn.
These Iron Bowl snaps come with an SEC championship bid and, potentially, a College Football Playoff spot on the line. And Edwards already feels that weight.
“If Josh doesn't play, (Kaleb Edwards is) not a backup,” Randall Edwards, Kaleb’s dad, said before Cuevas' status was announced. “He's going to be on the field more than normal. It's going to be harder for him.”
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AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe stage itself isn’t new for Kaleb Edwards.
Ellis has known what Edwards is capable of since he held his own against Crimson Tide defensive end LT Overton in fall camp, since Edwards “never folded” as the Florida State opener neared.
“He just kept showing up and kept flashing,” Ellis said.
Through his first taste of the rigors of an SEC schedule, Edwards earned the trust of quarterback Ty Simpson, who called the freshman tight end and freshman wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks rookies with “a veteran’s mindset.”
“It’s really just about doing your job and being trustworthy, right?” Simpson said. “Those guys are never late, they are never in any type of trouble whatsoever. They come out, and they come to work every day.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHow Kaleb Edwards has learned from Alabama football TE Josh Cuevas
Sep 6, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama tight end Kaleb Edwards (81) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against ULM at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn ImagesIn Cuevas, Ellis said Edwards has the best example.
Cuevas has earned the right to play the snaps he does, Ellis said. Cuevas has earned the right to be Simpson’s safety net in the Alabama passing game, something Edwards has watched and attempted to emulate.
It’s Cuevas’ professionalism: how the fifth-year tight end approaches practice and meetings, how Cuevas communicates with Edwards on the sideline during games telling the freshman what he sees.
Cuevas leads by example in Alabama’s tight end room. And Edwards is the product.
“It's one thing coming from his fat, old coach versus one of his teammates that is like, 'I've just been out there 15 plays in a row, buddy,’” Ellis said. “‘You might want to listen to me.'”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs Auburn nears, as Edwards takes center stage in the biggest game of Alabama’s season, Randall Edwards doesn’t see someone who has changed.
Kaleb Edwards has been who he’s always been. The transition from California to Alabama was easier than expected, Randall said. It didn't take long for his son to become comfortable in Tuscaloosa.
Randall Edwards would know. He’s traveled to all but one of his son’s games, joking that he and “American Airlines are like brothers now.” He has conversations with Kaleb multiple times a week, picking his brain, making sure his mind is right ahead of each game played.
College football is a whole different animal from where Kaleb Edwards was a year ago, one where athleticism can only carry someone so far, especially when it comes to blocking SEC-caliber defensive ends.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEdwards may have big shoes to fill. But the freshman tight end is also able to take a step back and see how far he’s come.
“He's very proud with where he's at and what he's been able to do so far,” Randall Edwards said.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: TE Kaleb Edwards could be Iron Bowl star for Alabama football vs Auburn
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