Alabama heads into 2026 with the kind of expectations that never really go away in Tuscaloosa, even after a season that would qualify as a win almost anywhere else.
Kalen DeBoer’s second year brought real progress. The Crimson Tide moved from 9-4 in 2024 to 11-4 in 2025, got back to the SEC Championship Game and reached the College Football Playoff.
For a lot of programs, that would buy plenty of breathing room. At Alabama, it just resets the standard.
The issue that keeps hanging over this team is the ground game. Alabama finished No. 125 in the country in rushing yards per game at 104.1, and that lack of production showed up in the offense’s week-to-week inconsistency.
That concern gets sharper when you look at what’s gone from the offensive line. Kadyn Proctor, Parker Brailsford and Geno VanDeMark are all headed to the NFL, and Alabama has to replace four starters up front overall.
David Pollack pointed to that exact area as the biggest question facing the Crimson Tide this season on "See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack."
"I want to see the consistency," Pollack said. "I want to see the physicality.
I want to see the line of scrimmage. Last year, they were one of the worst rushing teams in the country.
They were so inconsistent offensively because they couldn't run the football. They didn't have any balance."
That’s the part that feels so far removed from the Alabama teams built under Nick Saban. Those groups made a living by leaning on a punishing run game, wearing opponents down and taking over late. That physical edge was a huge part of how the dynasty was built.
Alabama still has the talent to chase an SEC title and a national championship, but the offense has to get more balanced to get there. With four line starters gone, the development of the run game looms as one of the defining storylines of the season.
If the Crimson Tide can get back to that old identity up front, they’ll have the kind of foundation that keeps championship hopes alive.
In Other News...
Greg Sankey Just Sent Alabama A Serious Playoff Warning
At SEC Media Days, Greg Sankey made it clear the league is not lining up behind a bigger College Football Playoff just because the conversation is getting louder. The SEC commissioner pushed back on the 24-team idea, pointing to the calendar and to the basic challenge of making sure access still works for everyone, while also suggesting the people shaping the format may not fully grasp how the SEC schedule is built.
For Alabama, the more important part is that this is not a tidy, united conference position. Some SEC voices have been open to expansion, others have been resistant, and Sankey acknowledged the leagues frustrations are real. He also said his recent conversation with College Football Playoff staff did not leave him satisfied, which only adds to the sense that the next round of playoff talks could get messy fast. [Read more 🡒]
Aden Holloway Just Cleared Another Step Toward Alabama Return
Aden Holloway has taken another step toward getting his Alabama career back on track after reaching a plea agreement tied to felony charges from a marijuana possession arrest. The deal allows him to enter a second chance program with probation and community service, and it comes after his ban from campus was lifted in early April.
Holloway has already returned to practice with the Crimson Tide this summer, but his path back is still not fully complete. He must satisfy requirements from the court, the university and the basketball program before he is fully cleared, and he intends to reenroll at Alabama this fall. [Read more 🡒]
John Mateer Finally Addressed What Alabama Forced Him To Relive
John Mateer spent part of his first season at Oklahoma replaying the kind of mistake quarterbacks do not get to forget, and Alabama was at the center of it. In a year that ended with the Sooners at 10-3 and in the College Football Playoff for the first time, the quarterback said he had to absorb the frustration of a costly interception against the Crimson Tide while also pushing through a season that asked plenty of him.
Mateer also had to handle a quick return from hand surgery before facing Texas, another reminder of how much he was juggling down the stretch. He acknowledged the rough patches while still sounding focused on what comes next, and for Oklahoma, the bigger question is how much those lessons can shape a quarterback who already knows the standard is only going up. [Read more 🡒]