The Alabama Crimson Tide are turning the page on a disappointing end to their 2025 season, and the message out of Tuscaloosa is loud and clear: the run game has to be better. After a season where the ground attack never quite found its footing, Alabama is making moves-both in the transfer portal and on the coaching staff-to fix one of the biggest issues that derailed their national title hopes.
Let’s start with the numbers, because they tell the story. The Tide rushed 466 times for just 1,562 yards and 21 touchdowns last season.
That’s a meager 3.4 yards per carry-far from championship-caliber production. When you’ve got an NFL-level quarterback like Ty Simpson under center, you expect to be able to lean on a balanced offense.
But in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Indiana, Alabama’s lack of a reliable run game was glaring. The 38-3 loss wasn’t just a bad day-it was a symptom of a bigger problem.
Enter Khalifa Keith.
Keith is the latest addition to Alabama’s backfield, transferring in from Appalachian State. He’s a name SEC fans might recognize-he began his college career at Tennessee before heading to Boone.
Now, he’s coming home. The Birmingham native is a 6-foot-1, 235-pound back who brings size and physicality to a running back room that needs a jolt.
His numbers at App State were limited-just three carries for eight yards last season-but he showed flashes at Tennessee in 2024, rushing 21 times for 100 yards and a touchdown. That’s not a massive sample size, but Alabama isn’t bringing him in to be the savior. He’s a piece of the puzzle, and the bigger picture is about rebuilding the offensive identity under new head coach Kalen DeBoer.
DeBoer isn’t just tweaking things-he’s making bold changes. One of the most telling moves?
Letting go of offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic. That’s not a small decision, especially for a first-year head coach stepping into the pressure cooker that is Alabama football.
But DeBoer made it clear this week at the Senior Bowl: the offensive line needs to be better, and that starts with leadership.
“It’s about production,” DeBoer told reporters. “We know we’ve got to be better there.
Mindset. Execution.
The details of the fundamentals the guys need. A lot of new faces are going to be in the room, so kind of a fresh start there.”
The expected hire to replace Kapilovic? Adrian Klemm.
He’s got NFL experience with the Patriots and spent last season at USC as an offensive analyst. Klemm is known for his work in player development and physical line play-two things Alabama sorely lacked in 2025.
DeBoer hinted that he considered multiple options before settling on the direction he felt was best for the program.
“There’s different avenues and directions I was still thinking about going,” he said. “It just became apparent to me what direction I was probably looking to go to as the week went on.”
The bottom line is this: Alabama isn’t used to being pushed around in the trenches, and they certainly aren’t used to being one-dimensional on offense. The addition of Keith, combined with a revamped offensive line and a new voice in the coaching room, signals a shift. The Tide aren’t just trying to patch holes-they’re trying to rediscover the physical, balanced identity that’s defined their best teams.
If the line takes a step forward and Keith finds his rhythm in this new system, his junior season could be a breakout. But more importantly, Alabama’s offense could finally find the balance it lacked last year-something that will be critical if the Tide want to get back to contending for national titles.