Alabama football is heading into the SEC season with a range so wide it can make almost any prediction look reasonable.
That’s the bind SEC Network’s Dari Nowkhah put himself in this week when he said the Crimson Tide could finish as low as ninth in the league standings - but also as high as second. He explained the uncertainty plainly: "I don't have a feel for them... we've always known exactly what they are and I don't feel that this year."
It’s the kind of statement Alabama fans can pounce on, especially when the program has long been measured against a higher standard. But the uncertainty around this team is real enough that even some of the sport’s more plugged-in voices are still trying to figure it out. Josh Pate and Phil Steele have both suggested Alabama may be underrated, yet neither has landed on a firm read for what the 2026 version of the Crimson Tide will become.
Even Nick Saban, the closest thing Alabama has to a final authority, left room for doubt. At SEC Media Days, Saban praised Kalen DeBoer for the culture he has built and said being a little "under the radar" could help. But he also added the obvious warning attached to any roster overhaul: "... you never know how 50 new players are going to respond..."
That uncertainty is exactly why the range around Alabama feels so broad. In my own July exercise projecting every Alabama regular-season game, I landed on a 10-2 finish.
One loss came against Georgia. The other was a home-game stumble against a projected underdog.
I can also see a better version of Alabama breaking through and finishing 11-1. And if things go the other way, I think 8-4 is there too, even if that feels less likely.
That lower end would put Alabama near the bottom of the SEC picture, which is why Nowkhah’s ninth-place projection doesn’t sound as far-fetched as it once might have.
In Other News...
Alabama Has A Young Safety Fans May Not Ignore Much Longer
Alabama enters the season with its starting safety spots already spoken for, as Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb return to anchor the back end. Even so, the Tide have no shortage of intrigue at the position, and sophomore Ivan Taylor has been one of the names drawing attention through offseason work. With a defense that has room for depth to matter, Taylor is positioning himself as more than just a useful reserve.
Taylors path has been helped by the kind of opportunity young players need at a place like Alabama, and he has made enough of it to keep his name in the conversation heading into fall camp. Kane Wommack and Kalen DeBoer have shown they will rotate on merit, which gives Taylor a real opening if he keeps stacking strong practices. The question now is not whether he belongs in the mix, but how quickly he can turn that momentum into a role that sticks. [Read more 🡒]
Kalen DeBoer May Face Alabama QB Call He Never Wanted
Kalen DeBoer has made no secret of what he wants at quarterback: one starter, one clear hierarchy and no weekly juggling act. That preference makes sense in a system that values rhythm and command, but Alabama may be headed toward a more complicated answer entering 2026 because both Austin Mack and Keelon Russell have so little game experience behind them.
Mack has only a handful of appearances on his rsum, and Russell is still just a freshman with even less exposure. With that kind of uncertainty, the Tide could be tempted to ease both into the job early rather than hand the offense to one and hope the other stays ready, even if DeBoer would rather avoid that kind of split. The bigger question is when he settles on a starter, with a decision expected a couple of weeks before the season and potentially around Aug. 24 after the second fall camp scrimmage. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama May Already Be Leaning One Way In A Crucial Linebacker Battle
Alabamas defense is headed for a reset in 2026, and the linebacker room is one of the biggest pieces of that puzzle. Virginia Tech transfer Caleb Woodson is expected to step in as the Mike linebacker, giving the Tide a veteran anchor in the middle, while the spot next to him is shaping up as one of the more watched battles on the roster. Junior QB Reese has already done enough to put himself in the mix, with teammates and former players taking notice of the way he has developed.
Reese is not running away with the job, though, and that is what makes the competition worth following. Luke Metz is among the players pushing for that other starting role, and Alabama will spend the spring and summer trying to sort out who fits best beside Woodson. Reese has shown promise in previous seasons, and the buzz around him suggests he has a real chance to seize the opportunity, but the final call in that room still has some sorting out to do. [Read more 🡒]