12-5 Season Record
USA Today places Alabama second among college football programs, behind only Ohio State, citing the Tide's 13 wire-service national championships and year-round fan intensity.
Alabama returns just one starter, Michael Carroll, from a 2025 offensive line that ranked 123rd nationally in rushing at 104.1 yards per game. New position coach Adrian Klemm will blend transfers and young players into a front five that could define the season.
Alabama's quarterback competition between senior Austin Mack and sophomore Keelon Russell remains unsettled heading into SEC Media Days, where Kalen DeBoer is expected to face questions about it first. OC Ryan Grubb called the race "pretty even" this spring.
Alabama adds senior linebacker Bubba Odom, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound transfer from East Mississippi Community College who is eligible to play immediately in 2026. Scouts praise his physicality, motor, and length at the point of attack.
Four-star offensive tackle Jared Doughty is now listed as Jared Graham on Alabama's roster following a name change, wearing No. 66 as he joins the Tide's tackle depth.
The two incoming receivers arrive ahead of fall camp for an Alabama group that has a solid starting five but little proven depth behind it. Both should get early reps simply because of the numbers crunch.
Alabama has updated its roster with numbers for six summer enrollees from the 2026 class, including receivers Amari Sabb (24) and Aubrey Walker (26), defensive linemen Nolan Wilson (44) and Malique Franklin (93), and offensive linemen Bear Fretwell (57) and Jared Graham (66).
Alabama now has eight football players signed with Nike after Bray Hubbard, Zabien Brown, Yhonzae Pierre, Dijon Lee, Keelon Russell, EJ Crowell and Cederian Morgan joined Ryan Coleman-Williams, with four of the group being in-state products.
Former Alabama shortstop Justin LeBron inks his rookie deal with Cincinnati, which went above the $4.7M slot value for the No. 18 pick to keep him from returning for his senior season after the Tide's College World Series run.
Kentucky enters 2026 with first-year head coach Will Stein and 29 transfer additions after a 5-7 season, setting up a rebuild as the Wildcats prepare to host Alabama, a team they've beaten just twice all-time in the series.
Alabama returns no starters up front by Athlon's criteria, making the offensive line rebuild under new coach Adrian Klemm a key storyline, with Michael Carroll and transfers Racin Delgatty and Jayvin James in the mix.
With fall camp approaching, former five-star Keelon Russell is drawing buzz as a potential Alabama starter thanks to his dual-threat play at A-Day, though Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb haven't tipped their hand in the competition with Austin Mack.
Alabama landed a commitment from four-star 2027 receiver Cedrick Simmons, who flipped from Auburn after a record-setting junior season at Southside-Selma that included over 2,000 receiving yards. He becomes the Tide's 14th commit in the 2027 class.
Alabama returns Zabien Brown, Keon Sabb, Bray Hubbard and former five-star Dijon Lee across the defensive backfield, making the secondary the strength of the 2026 roster and squeezing the competition for snaps at nickel and dime.
Alabama will send cornerback Zabien Brown, safety Bray Hubbard and receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams to SEC Media Days in Tampa on July 22, joined by coach Kalen DeBoer. All three are entering their third season as Crimson Tide starters.
Alabama @ Kentucky
South Carolina @ Alabama
Alabama @ Miss State
Georgia @ Alabama
Alabama @ Tennessee
Texas A&M @ Alabama
