Alabama’s spot in ESPN’s newest bracketology update is still comfortably inside the field, even if it isn’t quite where it was a few months ago.
Joe Lunardi’s latest projection for the 2027 NCAA Tournament has Nate Oats’ team slotted as a No. 4 seed. That’s a step down from the No. 3 seed Alabama carried in Lunardi’s summer outlook, and the Tide were also down one spot again in the August update. Even so, the message is clear: Alabama is viewed as a team that should be playing in March without needing any help from the tournament expanding to 76 teams for the first time.
The Crimson Tide enter 2026-27 with plenty of recent success behind them. Alabama has made six straight NCAA Tournaments under Oats and reached the Sweet 16 five times in the last six seasons. Last year’s team finished 25-10 overall and 13-5 in SEC play, good enough for the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament.
Alabama then opened March Madness with wins over Hofstra and Texas Tech before running into the eventual national champion Michigan Wolverines in the Sweet 16.
There’s also reason to think this group won’t be starting from scratch. Starting forward Amari Allen is set to return after withdrawing from the NBA draft, while forward London Jemison is also back.
Guard Aden Holloway could be part of the mix as well, if he is reinstated. On the recruiting side, Alabama added four-star freshman Jaxon Richardson in its 2026 class.
Other preseason and early bracket views have Alabama a little lower than Lunardi does right now. ESPN’s Jeff Borzello had the Tide at No. 16 in his way-too-early 2026-27 rankings on Sept. 2, while CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish placed them at No. 19 in his latest preseason poll.
Lunardi’s bigger picture for the SEC is just as strong. He projects 13 league teams in the 2027 NCAA Tournament, with Florida leading the way as a No. 1 seed.
Texas checks in as a No. 3 seed, Alabama and Arkansas are both projected as No. 4 seeds, and Tennessee and Kentucky land on the No. 5 line. Vanderbilt, Missouri, Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and LSU are also forecast to hear their names on Selection Sunday.
Alabama’s road to that point is already laid out. The Tide open Nov. 3 at home against Sam Houston at Coleman Coliseum, with nonconference games against Arkansas State, Oakland, Seton Hall, Kennesaw State, Baylor, Gonzaga or Kansas State, Miami, Houston, St. John’s, South Florida, Iowa and Samford before SEC play takes over.
The conference slate includes trips to Mississippi State, Arkansas, South Carolina, Missouri, Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Auburn, plus home dates with LSU, Ole Miss, Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Georgia.
The 2027 SEC Tournament is set for March 10-14 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
In Other News...
Alabama Suddenly Has A Backfield Problem Kalen DeBoer Didn't Need
Alabamas backfield has already had to adjust early this season, and AK Dears status is still one of the more important moving parts heading into the next game. The sophomore running back has missed the first two contests because of a high-ankle sprain he suffered in fall camp, but he has at least taken part in warm-ups and remains in the mix as the Crimson Tide prepare for Florida State.
In the meantime, Daniel Hill, EJ Crowell and Trae'shawn Brown have helped carry the load in Dears absence, giving Alabama some depth while it waits on a clearer answer. Even so, the uncertainty around Dear is not ideal for Kalen DeBoer, especially this early in the season when every healthy body in the backfield matters and the staff would prefer to have more certainty before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Brings Alabama A Very Different Offensive Test
Florida State has already looked like a different operation than the one Alabama saw in 2024, when the Seminoles struggled to get much going with D.J. Uiagalelei at quarterback and finished at just 15.4 points per game. The 2025 reboot under offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and quarterback Tommy Castellanos changed the tone quickly, with the offense jumping to 33 points a game and giving the Tide a much more active test to prepare for.
Now comes another layer of uncertainty for Alabama to sort through. Tim Harris Jr. has been promoted to offensive coordinator, Mike Norvell has taken back play-calling duties and the Seminoles are leaning on a strong running game while quarterback Ashton Daniels works through passing efficiency issues. For a defense trying to get ready in September, the challenge is less about one familiar scheme and more about adjusting to an attack that keeps evolving. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick Henrys Alabama Recruitment Still Says Everything About His Legacy
Doug Nussmeier is getting a familiar look this week when the Saints head to M&T Bank Stadium to face the Ravens, and the reunion brings him back to one of the more memorable recruiting stories from his Alabama days. Nussmeier, now the Saints offensive coordinator, was part of the staff that helped bring Derrick Henry to Tuscaloosa, and he recently revisited what made Henry such a unique prospect even before the rest of college football caught up to him.
What stood out then still defines Henry now: the size, the style, the sense that he could eventually become something bigger than a normal running back. Nussmeiers reflections were a reminder of how Alabamas staff viewed Henry long before he was powering NFL defenses, and why his recruitment still lingers as part of the broader story of his legacy. [Read more 🡒]