Hello and Roll Tide!

Alabama reports for fall camp today, marking officially one month before their first game of the 2026 season. Alabama is coming off an 11-4 season that included a College Football Playoff win and SEC Championship appearance. Kalen Deboer’s Tide were much improved in year 2 and he’ll look to continue that in 2026. As modern football goes, Alabama’s roster turned over significantly in the offseason. Alabama had 10 players drafted in the NFL Draft, lost 23 players to the transfer portal, brought in 17 transfers, and signed 28 freshmen. With all the new faces, I’ve highlighted some key discussions by position. Let’s go!

Position by Position Storylines – Fall Camp 2026

Quarterback - For the second year in a row, Alabama will have a first year starter at quarterback. The question remains: who will it be? Vying for the starting spot are 4th year Austin Mack and sophomore Keelon Russell. Austin Mack originally committed to Kalen DeBoer as part of Washington’s 2023 class and he followed DeBoer to Alabama in 2024. Even in his 4th year, Mack is only 20 years old as he started college at 17. At 6’6 232lbs, Mack has the build of an NFL quarterback but lacks experience. He was primary backup to Ty Simpson last fall, replacing Ty in the Rose Bowl after he exited with an injury. Experience may give Mack an edge, but his primary adversary in Keelon Russell is the highest rated high school recruit in Alabama history. During his Senior season in high school, Russell passed for 3,654 yards with 52 touchdowns earning recognition as the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year. Last season with the Tide, Russell was behind Mack as he learned the new offense. Russell attempted 15 passes in 2025 for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns. Whoever wins this battle will try to replicate Ty’s success as a first-year starter.

Running Back – Last season, Alabama was 125th in the country in rushing, averaging only 104 yards per game. While Kalen and Grubb’s offense is known for its passing game, the run game is supposed to complement it. That was not the case last year as running backs were unable to find success. Alabama’s leading rusher last season was Jam Miller with 504 yards, but he’s moved on to the NFL. Returning backs Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley, and AK Dear only recorded 284, 224, and 140 yards respectively. Alabama brought in transfer Khalifa Keith from Appalachian State and 5-star freshman EJ Crowell to shake up the room. For Alabama to have success, someone will have to step up. The expectation is that Daniel Hill and AK Dear will split most carries, but true freshman EJ Crowell could be a breakout star for the Alabama offense.

Wide Receiver – The wide receiver room is the best unit on the offensive side of the ball. They return significant producers in Ryan Coleman-Williams and Lotzier Brooks, along with talented young prospects. Speedster Rico Scott returned, adding depth behind them, but the competition will come at the X position as NC State transfer Noah Rogers will likely miss the first half of the season. Two receivers competing for snaps there will be sophomore Derek Meadows and true freshman Cederian Morgan. Meadows stands tall at 6’5 and was the 2023 Nevada Gatorade Track athlete of the year, specializing in hurdles. This combination of size, speed, and athleticism makes him a very interesting prospect who may be able to get valuable playing time this season. Ced Morgan enters Alabama as the 3rd highest rated in-state recruit in the 2026 class. At 6’4 210 lbs, he also has a great frame to play on the outside. He is a true freshman that could make an immediate impact for Alabama.

Tight End – Alabama recruited heavily at tight end in both the 2025 and 2026 cycles, leading to three 4-star talents at the position. Sophomores Kaleb Edwards and Marshall Pritchett look to compete for the starting role as well as transfer Josh Ford from Oklahoma State. All three are massive men in the range of 6’5-6’6 245-265lbs. Alabama focused on size at the position as they want their tight ends to be more than just pass catchers. This room will look to help the running game as all are capable blockers downfield.

Offensive Line - The offensive line saw the most turnover this offseason, returning only 5 players from a season ago. Of those 5, only Michael Carroll started any games in 2025. Behind him, William Sanders did rotate with the starting 5. Both are expected to start at the guard positions. Alabama hit the portal hard, bringing in 6 offensive linemen with differing levels of experience. Senior transfers Racin Delgatty and Jayvin James bring experience to the competition that may earn them immediate playing time. Delgatty is expected to compete with fellow transfer Kaden Strayhorn for the center role. Strayhorn, a sophomore, started alongside Michael Carroll at IMG Academy in high school. That chemistry could help Strayhorn in the long term. Jayvin James looks to compete with sophomore transfer Nick Brooks from Georgia to lock down the right tackle position. At left tackle, returning players Jackson Lloyd and Casey Poe look to compete with JUCO transfer Tyrell Miller. There are very few certainties in this group and plenty to look out for during fall camp. The line has not been good since Kalen took over at Alabama, and we will see if the offseason overhaul pays dividends.

Defensive Line – The defensive line also saw significant turnover as 5 players transferred out and 5 new players transferred in. Alabama did retain players on the line with experience: Jah-Marien Latham enters his 7th season with Alabama as injuries have defined his long career; Sophomore London Simmons broke out last season and looks to take over the starting DT position; Edrick Hill rotated along the line last season and will likely have an important role again this season; Jeremiah Beaman positioned himself to have a productive 2025 season before a season ending injury in week 2. These experienced players will be joined by transfers Devan Thompkins from USC, Terrance Green for Oregon, Desmond Umeozulu from South Carolina, Kedrick Bingley-Jones from Mississippi State, and Caleb Smith from Washington. Thompkins was productive at USC the last 2 years and looks to compete with Umeozulu for the BANDIT role. Bingley-Jones has experience in the SEC that should get him consistent reps behind London Simmons at DT. Terrance Green will compete with Jeremiah Beaman and JUCO transfer Steve Bolo Mboumoua for reps at NT. There will be a lot of competition at this position and should be a fun challenge for Kane Wommack and staff.

Linebackers – Alabama had a lot of experience at linebacker last season where three 5th year seniors took most of the reps. Losing those leaders leaves question marks at the position, specifically the Mike and Sting linebackers. WOLF is locked down with Yhonzae Pierre ready to wreak havoc on SEC offensive lines. To fill the void in the middle, Alabama brought in Senior Caleb Woodson from Virginia Tech. Woodson started for the Hokies each of the last two seasons and will provide experience to an untested group. Behind him are Juniors Caden Jones and QB Reese who look to take over a significant amount of snaps this season. Sophomore Luke Metz will compete with them after being a significant contributor on Special Teams last season. Alabama is betting big on Woodson being able to “quarterback” the defense. If he is not up for the challenge of the SEC, Alabama may have a big problem at middle linebacker.

Secondary – The Secondary will be a strength for Alabama. This is the best unit on the defense and may be the best unit overall on this roster. Alabama returns all 5 starters in the Secondary: Zabien Brown and Dijon Lee will start at the corner spots, Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb will be the safeties, and Red Morgan will handle the HUSKY position. This was a very successful group a season ago, much improved from 2024 where they were unable to stop the run. Last season Kane Wommack rotated the secondary for several weeks before he found this lineup that worked best. Who will he try out this season? Will we see Zay Mincey finally carve out a role? Will freshmen Jorden Edmonds or Jireh Edwards see the field? These are fun questions as there shouldn’t be many concerns about the Secondary entering the season.

Special Teams – Alabama’s 2025 Special Teams was lackluster as neither specialist was very effective. This led to the Tide searching for replacements via the transfer portal. Senior kicker Conor Talty will compete with Lorcan Quinn, a transfer from Marshall. Quinn was born in Northern Ireland and played Gaelic football before deciding to kick in the United States. Quinn made 4 kicks from 50+ yards a season ago and has a real opportunity to win this job. Alabama’s 2025 punter Blake Doud ran out of eligibility, opening a competition going into 2026. Sophomore punter Alex Asparuhov was a 3-star and will compete with FCS transfer Adam Watford. Watford is from Dothan, Alabama and spent the last 3 seasons at North Alabama. In his career, Watford has averaged 46.5 yards per punt.

Kick/Punt Return – DeBoer typically goes with high speed in this spot. Ryan Coleman-Williams, Lotzier Brooks, and Rico Scott were a part of the return game in 2025. Expect them to be in the mix as well as any transfer/freshman that comes in with speed.

Thank you for your time! I hope you are excited for the start of the season! As fall camp progresses, I will provide updates and send out a projected depth chart.

ROLL TIDE! -Jake