Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer didn’t mince words when discussing the decision to part ways with offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic. Speaking at the Senior Bowl on Wednesday, DeBoer pointed directly to production - or the lack of it - as the reason behind the move.
“I think it’s about production,” DeBoer said. “We know we’ve got to be better there.
Mindset, execution, the details - the fundamentals that guys need. A lot of new faces are going to be in that room, so it’s kind of a fresh start.”
And he’s not wrong. For a program that came into the 2025 season with sky-high expectations in the trenches - three linemen were named to the Preseason All-SEC Team - the results were underwhelming.
Alabama’s offensive line struggled to establish the run game, averaging just 104.1 rushing yards per contest. That ranked second-to-last in the SEC, a staggering stat for a team that’s historically leaned on a dominant ground attack.
Pass protection didn’t fare much better. According to Pro Football Focus, the Tide allowed 183 pressures - the most in the conference - and surrendered 32 sacks, fourth-most in the SEC. For a unit that was supposed to be a strength, those numbers told a very different story.
While Alabama is widely expected to bring in Adrian Klemm as Kapilovic’s replacement, DeBoer didn’t confirm the hire, as it hasn’t been made official. Still, the direction is clear: the offensive line is getting a reset, and the rebuild is already underway.
That rebuild starts with personnel. Alabama is essentially starting over up front.
Four starting jobs are now open after three linemen either declared for the NFL Draft or exhausted their eligibility, and another - Wilkin Formby - hit the transfer portal. That leaves right tackle Michael Carroll as the lone returning starter.
Depth has taken a hit, too. Reserves like Micah DeBose and Olaus Alinen also entered the portal, thinning out a group that’s already in transition.
But the Tide are reloading quickly. The incoming transfer class includes a mix of size and experience: Jayvin James (Mississippi State), Nick Brooks (Texas), Ethan Fields (Ole Miss), Racin Delgatti (Cal Poly), and a pair of former Michigan linemen in Ty Haywood and Kaden Strayhorn. That’s a lot of new blood - and a lot of competition.
DeBoer acknowledged the magnitude of the overhaul, calling the offensive line “definitely going to be a position group that’s going to generate a lot of our attention.”
And it needs to. In the SEC, games are won and lost in the trenches.
Alabama knows that better than anyone. If the Tide want to stay in the national title conversation, it starts with fixing the foundation - and that foundation begins up front.