Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide staff are trying to answer questions on roster, culture, and preparation as they gear up for the 2026 season. Last Saturday’s A-Day game gave us a glimpse of the program’s direction heading into a critical year three for the man that replaced Saban.
Where does the QB race stand?
Ty Simpson’s departure for the NFL draft has left a full-on QB competition in Tuscaloosa. Austin Mack was Simpson’s backup in 2025 and is going into his fourth season with Kalen DeBoer. At 6’6” 235, Mack is a huge athlete with decent mobility and a strong arm. He is pursued by RS Freshman 5 Star Keelon Russell. Russell has good size at 6’3” 200, is more mobile that Mack, and has the kind of arm talent that makes scouts drool.
This battle will get tons of attention, but it may not be the most important question for the Bama program. Either of these QB’s could be a solid SEC starter. With that said, while Mack has an advantage in experience in the system, after watching highlights from the A-Day game…Mack is going to have a difficult time holding off Keelon Russell, whose talent is significant and obvious.
Can the Tide be physical again?
This is the strangest question to have to ask, and one that has Alabama fans concerned heading into this season. Many times last season, the Crimson Tide got pushed around physically on both sides of the ball. The offensive line, heavy with experience in 2025, was a major disappointment. The rushing attack infamously finished as one of the worst in the country, leading many to question the program’s toughness and OC Ryan Grubb’s commitment to a running game…a lingering concern from his short stint with the Seahawks.
DeBoer and staff went to the transfer portal for some size and depth on both lines of scrimmage. The emphasis defensively was on long, rangy, big athletes they believe can shore up the run defense that lacked at times last season. Offensively, the Tide went heavy on OL out of necessity. Spring practice groupings appear to show that at least two of those transfers will start Game 1 in Center Racin Delgatty and RT Jayvin James. The development, or lack thereof, of the offensive line may be the biggest determinant of whether this team can return to something resembling Bama form.
Can a reshaped offensive staff change the trajectory?
There hasn’t been nearly enough said or written about the shakeup of the Alabama offensive staff this season. Only Grubb as OC, and Robert Gillespie (RB) return to their same position. Bryan Ellis, a former college QB with a history of coaching QB’s and WR’s, moves from TE to QB coach and should be much more comfortable in that role. Former Auburn OC Derrick Nix comes in to take over the Wide Receivers. Nix is a proven commodity in the SEC and will have plenty of material to work with at that position.
But the biggest additions to the Tide staff came in the form of Adrian Klemm (OL) and Richard Owens (TE). Owens was an NFL TE, and comes from Louisville where he was…you guessed it…Offensive Line Coach. In addition to coaching TE’s and OL, Owens also has experience as a Run Game Coordinator. Klemm won 3 Superbowls as a Patriot and has a wealth of experience coaching OL in pass-heavy offenses. Klemm also has been a Run Game Coordinator at SMU and Oregon. Both Klemm and Owens will be counted on to develop the Alabama OL and running game into a dependable weapon on Saturdays. I do not consider it hyperbole to say that Adrian Klemm might well be the most important hire of Kalen DeBoer’s career to this point.
Where is the Crimson Tide headed?
Although DeBoer second season was far from a failure, with 11 wins and an SECCG and CFP appearance, the product on the field often didn’t match the talent. The question is, can this staff maximize the raw material? The inexplicable losses to double-digit underdogs (Vandy and Oklahoma in 2024 and Florida State in 2025) need to stop. Additionally, blowout losses, like we saw against Indiana to end the 2025 campaign, are never acceptable in Tuscaloosa. Alabama fans are clamoring to once again have a squad that buries inferior opponents, and competes with any opponent.
Alabama will be a talented, but very young team in 2026. On the surface, it feels like a 9-3 team. They will be young and inexperienced on offense, but the defense returns the entire secondary and one of the league’s better edge rushers in Yhonzae Pierre. If the OL play improves, the QB is dependable, and the team stays healthy, then they could certainly go beyond a 9 win regular season. If they have some bad injury luck, or the line of scrimmage play is as bad as last season, you can certainly see 8 wins or (gasp) less. The variance is wider than normal in Tuscaloosa this year, and that’s why they will be a difficult team to project going into the Fall.
Either way, it appears we’re going to get a good look at whether the Bama program is trending up in it’s third season post-Saban…or trending towards more change in the near future.
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