The little things still matter in this rivalry, and one of them showed up in the uniforms. Alabama will wear Crimson in Knoxville this season, while Tennessee will stay in its home colors. In a sport that keeps piling on changes, it’s at least something to see a nod to tradition.
On the field, Alabama’s offensive line is being pushed toward a tougher identity, and Michael Carroll is drawing notice for the kind of player the staff wants up front. Position coach Chris Klemm likes what he sees from the sophomore, especially if Carroll settles in at guard.
“What I’ve seen is he’s maturing and learning,” Klemm said, via Andrew Bone of Yea Alabama. “I believe he’s more of a natural guard than a tackle.”
Carroll can play tackle, but Klemm believes guard may be where he reaches his ceiling.
“He’s been doing well. He’s a physical guy. Those are things that I like and value in a player,” Klemm said.
That physical edge is not an accident. New center Racin Delgatty said Klemm has made it a daily point of emphasis, and the message is simple: bring the fight.
“Physical,” said new center Racin Delgatty. “With Coach Klemm, we’re coming to battle.”
“The biggest thing he’s taught me is how to be really physical,” Delgatty said. “I’m already a physical guy.
You guys probably see my tape at Cal Poly, but, man, he’s all about striking, putting guys in the dirt. Like, he’s all about that.”
The line made its first public appearance at A-Day, but that was only a snapshot. The real question is what it looks like when the games count.
Quarterback may grab the spotlight, but the guys in the trenches still decide plenty, and Caleb Woodson pointed to the standard at Alabama as the reason he came.
“Just the caliber that everyone holds themselves to,” Woodson said. “It’s Alabama.
It’s the top of the top. So just being held at that standard, all the guys want to.”
Woodson also had to adjust to something a lot less glamorous than the depth chart: the heat. The Virginia native said the transition to Tuscaloosa took some getting used to, especially with the temperature sitting at 94 degrees and climbing on Wednesday.
“I was like ‘ooh, I’m gonna have to get used to this,’” Woodson said. “I started going in the sauna, trying to sit in there for like 30 minutes, just get my body used to it. But I feel like now that I’m kind of adapted and my body’s used to the heat now.”
There’s also more preseason recognition coming Alabama’s way. Six players were named to the 2026 preseason coaches All-SEC teams, with defensive backs Zabien Brown and Bray Hubbard on the first team. Wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams and offensive lineman Michael Carroll landed on the second team, while linebacker Yhonzae Pierre and defensive back Keon Sabb were placed on the third team.
Alabama is one of seven SEC schools with multiple first-team selections.
And then there was the latest legal wrinkle. Former LSU EDGE Jack Pyburn is among 16 players who received a temporary restraining order against the NCAA on Thursday, which clears the way for him to return for the 2026-27 college football season with a fifth year of eligibility.
Pyburn is currently on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp roster and had two sacks in their most recent preseason game.
The group also includes former Ole Miss defensive lineman Xzavian Harris, Ole Miss safety Wydett Williams, Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright, James Madison linebacker Trent Hendrick, Oregon State running back Anthony Hankerson, Notre Dame defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka, South Carolina safety DQ Smith and SMU running back TJ Harden.
Wright is currently in NFL training camp with the Cleveland Browns, while Hankerson is with the Seahawks. Attorneys on the case are Ryan Downton and Mark Peper.
Under the signed order in Louisiana, the 16 players will be allowed to enter the transfer portal, and the NCAA’s rule of restitution along with the ghost transfer rule are also enjoined.
With the season less than two weeks away, the whole thing keeps getting stranger - especially when players in NFL camps can suddenly take a one-week college free-agent tour. Just when it seems the chaos has peaked, the sport finds another gear.
In Other News...
Alabama Fans Will Have Strong Reactions To Keelon Russell's SEC Ranking
Bud Elliotts early look at the 2026 SEC quarterback race put Alabama fans in a familiar spot: plenty of hope, and probably a little debate. In his CBS Sports ranking, the college football analyst slotted Texas star Arch Manning at No. 1, then filled out the top five with Ole Misss Trinidad Chambliss, LSUs Sam Leavitt, Alabamas Keelon Russell and South Carolinas LaNorris Sellers.
For Alabama, the noteworthy part is not just Russell cracking the list, but where he landed in a conference that rarely leaves much room for error at quarterback. Elliott also weighed recent performance and future potential in making his selections, which only adds to the intrigue around Russell heading into next season. Crimson Tide fans have spent plenty of time waiting to see what the next quarterback era will look like, and this ranking is another reminder that the conversation around Russell is already starting to get serious. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Scrimmage Left One Big QB Question And Fresh Injury Concern
Alabamas second preseason scrimmage gave the staff a better look at where things stand across the roster, and it also offered a reminder that the most important battles in camp are still unresolved. The quarterback race between Keelon Russell and Austin Mack remains the headliner, with some around the program already viewing Russell as the favorite, while other young players such as wide receiver Derek Meadows and running back Traeshawn Brown helped themselves with encouraging work in the session.
There was also a more concerning note on the injury front, as true freshman EJ Crowell sat out while continuing to work back from an ankle issue. In a camp where every rep matters, Alabama is still sorting out both its top competition and its early health picture, and the final shape of the depth chart will depend on how those pieces come together over the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Former Alabama Player Just Won A Massive Case Tied To 2023 Shooting
A former Alabama basketball player has now won a major legal battle that reached far beyond the court. An Alabama jury ordered The New York Times to pay $9.25 million in damages to Kai Spears after finding the paper defamed him by wrongly reporting that he was at the scene of a fatal 2023 shooting, a claim Spears challenged in a lawsuit filed in 2023.
The nine-day trial ended with the jury siding with Spears, putting a sharp spotlight on how a mistaken report can follow an athlete long after his playing days. The Times had acknowledged the error in its original story and said it is reviewing its legal options after the verdict, leaving the case with another chapter still possible. [Read more 🡒]