James Smith’s move to Ohio State has Buckeyes fans buzzing, but Alabama followers have seen this movie before.
The former 5-star defensive lineman left Tuscaloosa after starting 12 games for the Crimson Tide in 2025, and he wasn’t the only one to make the jump. Qua Russaw entered the portal with an uncertain role behind Yhonaze Pierre, and Smith followed his high school teammate to Columbus. The two had been a package deal in high school, and they stayed one in the portal, signing with Ohio State together.
There’s plenty of hype already building around Smith in Columbus. Ohio State fans are looking at his size and imagining a difference-maker in the middle, the kind of player who can wreck a run game and live in opposing backfields.
Good luck trying to run up the middle against James Smith.
He’s an absolute unit🤯 pic.twitter.com/ETO3Ea780C
- BuckeyesFansOnly (@BuckeyesOnly) August 2, 2026
But Alabama’s track record with Smith suggests a little caution is in order.
Over three seasons with the Crimson Tide, Smith posted 3.5 sacks and 10 tackles-for-loss. He was part-time as a sophomore, then moved into a starting role in 2025, but the consistency never really followed.
He flashed enough to remind people why he arrived as one of the nation’s top players in the 2023 signing class, yet he also had stretches where the production lagged behind the recruiting billing. There were even a few rough decisions mixed in along the way, the kind that frustrated coaches and fans.
That disconnect is what makes the Ohio State reaction feel familiar to Alabama fans. Smith was supposed to grow into a Quinnen Williams- or Da'Ron Payne-type force in the middle of the Tide defense, but that level of impact never showed up in three seasons at the Capstone.
Maybe Larry Johnson changes that. Ohio State’s defensive line coach has a long reputation as one of the best in the game, and if anyone can squeeze more out of Smith, it’s him. The same goes for Russaw, who also arrived in Columbus with plenty of talent but without the kind of production that matched the preps hype.
That’s the warning for Buckeyes fans: the ceiling is obvious, but the resume is still thin.
Alabama, meanwhile, moved quickly after losing Smith. Kalen DeBoer’s staff added three experienced defensive linemen in Devan Thompkins from USC, Terrance Green from Oregon, and Kedrick Bingley-Jones from Mississippi State. The Tide have depth up front, but they still need someone to emerge as a true game-changer.
If Smith finds that next level at Ohio State, it won’t just validate the Buckeyes’ bet. It’ll also sharpen the frustration back in Tuscaloosa over how the defensive line has developed under Freddie Roach, unless Alabama gets a breakout of its own.
In Other News...
Alabamas SEC Ranking Just Raised The Pressure On Kalen DeBoer
Preseason SEC media rankings always come with plenty of noise, but they still tell you which programs are being judged through a higher lens before a single snap is played. Texas landed second behind Georgia, Ole Miss checked in third with a new coach, and Vanderbilt was slotted 13th despite having already shown it can outplay that kind of expectation. For Alabama, though, the number that matters most is sixth, because that is where the conversation around Kalen DeBoer starts to sharpen.
A preseason slot that ordinary programs might shrug off carries a different weight in Tuscaloosa, where the standard is never about simply being respectable in the league picture. The ranking does not decide anything on its own, but it does frame the season in a way Alabama fans know well: every early stumble gets magnified, every good run gets measured against history, and DeBoer enters the fall with the kind of pressure that comes with coaching one of the sports most scrutinized teams. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Quarterback Battle Could Decide More Than Just The Starting Job
Fall practice often has a way of turning a position battle into something bigger, and that is especially true at quarterback for Alabama. Among the high-profile names being watched across college football, the Crimson Tides competition under center stands out because it is not just about naming a starter, but about finding the player who can steady the offense and match the expectations that come with the job.
In Alabamas case, the attention around the quarterbacks also carries a wider edge for the program heading into the season. The Tide need development at several key spots, but the progress of the most unproven signal-caller could end up shaping how this fall is judged, and even how much confidence there is in the direction of the team as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Has Three Returning Starters Facing Huge Pressure This Season
Alabama heads into the new season with a lot of turnover after losing 10 players to the 2026 NFL Draft, and the burden now falls on a small group of returning starters to steady things. Michael Carroll is the lone returning starter on the offensive line, and his move inside gives the Tide at least one veteran piece to anchor a unit that will have plenty of new faces around him. On the edge, Yhonzae Pierre returns after leading the team in sacks last season, giving him a chance to build on that production and strengthen his case as one of the top pass rushers in the country.
The pressure is just as real at wide receiver, where Ryan Coleman-Williams is set to become a primary target in a thinner group and will need to take a clear step forward in his third year. With so much of the roster in transition, Alabama does not have the luxury of easing these players in, especially when each one is being asked to handle a larger role right away. How well they respond could go a long way toward shaping the early feel of the season. [Read more 🡒]