UAB Fall Camp SNAPSHOT: Day FOUR
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - August 1, 2025
UAB Fall Camp Snapshot
UAB’s linebackers are finishing a steady first week in fall camp. But there doesn’t appear to be much separation in the battle for a starting spot. Eddy Toussom and Tylan McNichols, who returned from last year’s roster, have joined transfer portal additions Eli Ennis, Devin Hightower and Calvin Pitcher to form a strong core at the top of the linebacker depth chart.
First-year linebacker coach Jonathan Celestin stopped by after practice to talk about his position group and his early career in coaching. Celestin, a former linebacker at the University of Minnesota, played four professional seasons, including three in the NFL, before beginning his coaching career.
On adding experienced linebackers from the transfer portal: “They're ahead of curve, I’d say about 20 to 50 percent but it's also being able to hone in on our foundation, our skills and our mindset. They have an idea of what football is like for them, based off their background and the college that they were at, but it’s teaching them this is how we do things at UAB, teaching them the Blazer way.”
On his thoughts about the linebacker play thus far: “I have a great group. They're all pushing each other, iron sharpens iron. I can't say two starters right now, but I know I've got five to six guys who are all sharpening each other. I can rotate any one of them right now at any moment and they all are starting to just gel with each other. So I have a good room there. They all want to succeed. They all want to make plays and they understand that's what it's going to take to take this defense to the next level, because we're the leaders of the defense.”
On coaching a deep position: “It's good. I've been in a defense like that before when I played back in college in 2016. In Minnesota, we had like seven to eight guys who were rolling throughout the whole game, and everybody was able to make plays and we all were happy for each other. It boosts the defense to be even better. So having a room that I know, okay, I can put these two out there, I can put those two out there. I can mix and match whoever. I know that regardless, we're gonna go out there and we're gonna execute the same way and there's no drop off.”
I do have some guys who might be a little bit more swift, who can blitz a little bit better, cover a little bit better. But I say overall, they're all neck and neck with each other. Regardless, it does just make the room better because that person might say ‘OK, let me learn from him to figure out how I can get better at that trade or skill.’ And vice versa.”
On linebackers meeting or exceeding expectations: “I wouldn't say necessarily (anybody surprised me). I would say they were all new to me because I got in here right before spring ball started. But just seeing all of them being able to roll out there, there was nobody who just like, okay, boom, he surprised me a little bit. Once I saw them move in winter drills and mat drills, I was like, okay, I think we got a solid foundation to work off and build.
On his path into coaching: “I can say when I was in college, my goal and aspiration was always to play in the league. I achieved that, I bounced around in the league for about three years. I was very grateful for my time. One of my best times was being at home playing for the Falcons. So I’ll never forget that. But after that, just trying to figure out what was my next step. I knew I had so much passion for the game. I got into high school coaching and then I got into college coaching at Wyoming. After that, I knew I was never going to look back to anything else. I can never see myself doing anything but coaching the game of football because I love it so much.”
On getting the opportunity at UAB: “I happened to play for Steve Russ in 2019 for the Carolina Panthers. He was my linebacker coach. Everything was going well that year until I ended up going on IR. But after that, I continued to stay in touch with him year to year just checking in. And then this opportunity (came about). They’re were interviewing for linebacker coach and he happened to reach out to me. He'd been tracking me the past few years from Wyoming to Virginia and saw how I was steadily progressing up. I came for an interview and I guess I did a good job. I'm very grateful for Steve Russ and the relationship I have with him. He's allowing me to lay my foundation in this linebacker room at UAB.”