Alabama football is headed into Year 3 of the Kalen DeBoer era with a preseason SEC forecast that puts the Crimson Tide in the top half of the league, but not near the very top.
At SEC Media Days, media members voted Alabama sixth in the 2026 SEC preseason poll. The Tide picked up three first-place votes, but the rest of the league’s top tier separated itself in the voting.
Georgia finished first with 88 first-place votes, followed by Texas with 57. Ole Miss came in third, while Texas A&M, LSU and Alabama rounded out the top six. Oklahoma was next with two first-place votes, and Kentucky also received one.
The poll showed a tight cluster at the top. Alabama was one of seven teams to clear 1,900 total points, joining Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, LSU and Oklahoma. Only Georgia, Texas and Ole Miss topped 2,000 points.
That’s a different spot than Alabama occupied a year ago. In the 2025 preseason poll, the Crimson Tide were slotted third and drew 29 first-place votes. They ended up earning a berth in the SEC Championship Game after winning seven of eight conference games.
Alabama opens the 2026 season against East Carolina at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 5 on ABC.
2026 SEC preseason poll
Georgia (88)
Texas (57)
Ole Miss (6)
Texas A&M (5)
LSU (2)
Alabama (3)
Oklahoma (2)
Tennessee
Florida
Missouri
South Carolina
Auburn
Vanderbilt
Kentucky (1)
Mississippi State
Arkansas
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