Alabama’s 2026 football captains are set, and the Crimson Tide will turn to a trio of familiar names to lead the way: wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, cornerback Zabien Brown and safety Bray Hubbard.
The announcement came from Yea Alabama, the University’s NIL collective, and it adds another layer to one of Alabama’s most recognizable traditions. Since 1948, Tide captains have left their handprints and footprints in the concrete at the Walk of Fame near the Denny Chimes clock tower, a campus landmark that has long served as a marker of leadership in the program.
This year’s group is also notable because all three are first-time captains. Under Kalen DeBoer, Alabama’s captains are chosen by player vote shortly before the season, and the four captains from last year have since moved on to the NFL. The Crimson Tide also works with a leadership council of about 10 players, and Coleman-Williams, Brown and Hubbard came out on top in that process.
Coleman-Williams enters his junior season with a different feel around him. After a huge freshman year that made him a national name and landed him on the cover of a major video game franchise, his sophomore season didn’t match that level. Still, the 19-year-old has drawn strong praise from DeBoer all offseason, with the coach repeatedly pointing to how much he has improved on and off the field.
Brown’s path has some similarities. Like Coleman-Williams, he arrived as a five-star freshman starter and made an early impact with big moments.
His rise continued in 2025, and expectations are even higher heading into 2026. Teammates have also praised the way he leads, describing a style built on quiet confidence.
Hubbard brings the most proven production of the three. He led Alabama with four interceptions in 2025 and ranked third on the team with 79 total tackles.
He also added three forced fumbles, eight pass breakups and two sacks. For that season, the rising senior was named to the AP and coaches’ All-SEC First Team and earned Second Team All-America honors from the AFC.
There was already a hint this group might end up in the captain mix. At Alabama’s annual Media Day on Aug.
8, BamaCentral asked players a simple question: if you could vote for only one captain, who would it be? Hubbard won easily, though Coleman-Williams and Brown also picked up votes.
The three were also Alabama’s player representatives at SEC Media Days, another sign of how the program viewed them in leadership roles before the official captaincy announcement.
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Alabama Faces A Familiar Worry With Its Most Explosive Receiver
The opening game of the season brought an old concern back into view for Alabama, as Ryan Coleman-Williams had another rough day at the catch point. The explosive receiver has been central to what the Crimson Tide want to do offensively, and his ability to turn chances into chunk plays remains a key part of Alabamas hopes heading into the rest of the year.
Coleman-Williams did spend the offseason trying to clean up the issue, making changes aimed at improving his hands and sharpening his reliability. Even so, the early signs were a reminder that Alabamas passing attack may have to keep living with a little volatility from one of its most dangerous weapons, which is not exactly the kind of tradeoff a contender wants to carry for long. [Read more 🡒]