The fireworks of July are still fresh, but Alabama football is already creeping back into view. SEC Media Days are just around the corner, fall camp is close behind, and the season opener is less than two months away. For a fan base that has lived and breathed the sport since 1892, that means the wait is almost over.
And there are plenty of reasons to lean in.
The clearest one might be the secondary. Alabama’s back end looks loaded with talent, experience and playmaking ability, and it has the chance to be the defining strength of the 2026 team. Safeties Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb both passed on the NFL Draft this spring to return for one more run in Tuscaloosa, giving the Tide a pair of veterans who bring skill, experience and a clear goal: getting Alabama back to the top of college football.
The corners give this unit even more bite. Zabien Brown and Dijon Lee Jr. are back, and Brown’s sophomore season included a rare feat - he became the first Crimson Tide cornerback to return two interceptions for touchdowns since Antonio Langham in 1992.
Lee made an immediate impact last season and earned a spot on the freshman All-SEC team. Red Morgan is back too after carving out a role as a strong tackler in the slot, and Alabama added Mercer transfer Carmelo O’Neal to deepen the group.
There are still questions elsewhere on the roster, including the offensive line and inside linebacker, but the secondary is not one of them. This is the part of the defense that looks ready to take over games.
Then there’s the quarterback battle, which is headed for its final stretch. Redshirt junior Austin Mack and redshirt freshman Keelon Russell have been locked in a tug of war that’s now pushed deep into the offseason, and once fall camp opens, it’s going to dominate everything. Russell appeared to have the edge after a strong showing in the A-Day Spring Game, but Kalen DeBoer has praised both quarterbacks, including in a conversation a few months ago with Greg McElroy.
That decision will shape everything that follows. The winner won’t just be named and forgotten; he’ll be judged immediately, starting with the opener, and the debate won’t fade until somebody settles in and starts winning. For Alabama, that kind of pressure is standard operating procedure.
The same goes for DeBoer himself. This is his third season in Tuscaloosa, and after an 20-8 start, he got a new 7-year deal worth $87.5 million that pays him $12.5 million per season. The extension also runs through the 2032 season.
That third-year label matters at Alabama because of what happened with Nick Saban. In his third season, he won a national title, the first of six in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer is still working to prove himself in the shadow of that standard, but he did nearly take Washington to a national title before arriving and led Alabama to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals last season.
He also stayed put this offseason despite being linked to the openings at Michigan and Penn State. That alone says plenty about where this is headed. DeBoer is in it for the long haul, and he’ll have no shortage of questions about that when Media Days arrive.
For Alabama, that’s the point of this time of year. The anticipation builds, the scrutiny gets louder, and the expectations stay exactly where they’ve always been.
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Kalen DeBoer Is Already Facing A Conversation Alabama Fans Dread
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That unease has centered on physicality and the rushing game, the kind of concern that tends to linger in Tuscaloosa when expectations are this high. DeBoers new contract only raises the stakes around every debate, because Alabama is no longer just judging a coach on wins and losses, but on whether the style of play matches the standard the fan base expects. [Read more 🡒]