Alabama doesn’t look anything like the team that got flattened at the end of last season.
That version of the Tide got pushed around, finished with an SEC Championship rushing total of -3 yards, then got “sliced, diced, covered and smothered” by Indiana in the Rose Bowl. The criticism stuck for months.
Inside the program, it bothered people. Outside it, it only got louder.
Now the conversation sounds different. Five games into 2026, Alabama has gone from being viewed as a team “under the radar” in July to one that belongs in the national championship discussion in early October. The change has been built on a new look, new coaches, a shuffled lineup, fresh blood and a nastier edge.
Murderball is back in Tuscaloosa.
That identity gets its biggest test yet this week against Georgia, the same program that stuffed Alabama in Atlanta last December. Weather permitting, the Bulldogs arrive with the nation’s No. 3 rush defense, allowing just 57.4 yards per game, and with every reason to try to shut this thing down again.
Kirby Smart has noticed the difference.
“They’re physical,” he said Wednesday when asked about Alabama’s ground game specifically. “Extremely physical.
They have a commitment to the run. A commitment that is unwavering.
They have really physical tight ends, really physical offensive line.”
Saturday’s 56-23 win at Mississippi State backed that up. Alabama opened in the I-formation and ran it straight at the Bulldogs on its first three snaps, setting a tone that never really let up.
The running game didn’t need to be flashy. It just needed to be relentless.
The offensive line did the dirty work. Linemen were finishing blocks five or 10 yards downfield, and Mississippi State defenders were ending up on their backs. Transfer center Racin Delgatty said that was exactly the point.
“Because our main mindset is being physical,” Delgatty said. “So when you put someone on your back and you lay on them, I mean, there’s no better statement.”
Delgatty has become one of the faces of this rebuilt front. He came to Alabama from Cal-Poly this offseason, carrying a ranking of 2,179th in the 2023 class according to the 247Sports composite. He’s not the kind of name that usually gets attention in Tuscaloosa, but he’s part of why the line looks different now.
And it’s not just the line.
Alabama’s tight end group has added muscle too, including Oklahoma State transfer Josh Ford, who broke his arm at Mississippi State, had surgery and sounds eager to play Saturday night. In the backfield, freshmen Trae’shawn Brown and EJ Crowell have brought burst, creativity and speed to the run game.
Then there’s quarterback Keelon Russell, who gives the offense another layer. He can run on designed plays, improvise when things break down and stress defenses in ways that have given Kirby Smart’s units problems before. The biggest complaint after Russell’s debut start was that he kept looking for contact instead of sliding.
Even with the 12 sacks he has taken, Russell is averaging 10.4 yards per carry with four rushing touchdowns.
The numbers tell part of the story, and they’re a lot prettier than last year’s. Alabama is No. 9 nationally in rushing success rate at 52.5%, after finishing last season ranked 98th. Against P4 competition, it’s averaging 176.3 rushing yards per game, good for 25th nationally after finishing 106th a year ago at 83.2 yards per game.
The broader point is simple: this offense is no longer one-dimensional. It has three solid running backs, and each has led the team in a game this season. It also has a quarterback with a spring-loaded arm, which matters because the run game now forces defenses to pick their poison.
That wasn’t the case in last December’s 28-7 SEC championship game. Alabama’s front was dysfunctional, the quarterback was banged up and defenses knew the run game had no pulse.
The Tide backs had just seven carries for 21 yards, and three sacks of Ty Simpson dragged the net rushing total below zero. Only one Alabama offensive lineman who started that night, Michael Carroll, is still on the roster.
This version looks and feels different. It runs with purpose.
It hits with purpose. It wears teams down and then lets Russell attack through the air when they start leaning forward.
That’s why Georgia week matters, and why the old labels don’t fit anymore.
Alabama isn’t soft. Not even close.
In Other News...
Nick Saban's Music Taste Has Alabama Fans Doing Double Takes
Nick Sabans public image has always leaned more toward discipline than downtime, so Kristen Sabans latest reveal gave Alabama fans a different kind of glimpse into the longtime coach. She shared a Spotify playlist called Nick on the AUX, built from songs she says were selected by her father, and the mix is broad enough to make even a few Crimson Tide loyalists do a double take.
The playlist reaches across generations and genres, with names like The Rolling Stones, Eagles, The Who, Johnny Cash and Elton John all in the mix. The timing is notable, too, arriving as ESPNs original documentary Saban is set to debut, adding another layer to a figure Alabama fans have spent years trying to read beyond the sideline persona. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces Key Availability Calls Ahead Of Georgia Showdown
With the Southeastern Conference now requiring injury reports for conference games across football, basketball and baseball, Alabamas weekly lead-up to Georgia carries a little more public intrigue than usual. Coach Kalen DeBoer offered a snapshot of where several players stand as the Crimson Tide prepare for one of the biggest games on the schedule, with tight end Josh Ford still working back from arm surgery and right tackle Jayvin James trending toward a return.
The rest of the report leaves Alabama with some decisions to monitor as the week goes on, since a handful of players are still listed as questionable or out for the season. The SEC-mandated availability update is set to keep changing as kickoff gets closer, so the Tides final status report could shape how they line up against Georgia and how much flexibility DeBoer has on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Hurts Faces Mounting Pressure After Eagles Offensive Line Shakeup
The Eagles offensive line has entered a period of transition, and Jalen Hurts is now being asked to steady everything around it. Lane Johnsons retirement came shortly after he was scratched from a game against the Los Angeles Rams, and the front five took another hit when Philadelphia dealt center Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens for draft picks. For a quarterback who has long been tied to protecting the structure of the offense, the changes carry obvious weight.
Hurts addressed the reshaped line publicly and said he believes the group can still get better under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. For Alabama fans who followed Hurts from his college days, it is another reminder of how often his value is measured not just by production, but by how well he can navigate uncertainty around him. The Eagles are trying to rebuild some stability in a suddenly different environment, and Hurts will be central to whether that happens quickly enough. [Read more 🡒]