Alabama football gets its 2026 season started Saturday morning against East Carolina, and the Crimson Tide should walk into Bryant-Denny Stadium with a clear checklist. The opener kicks off at 11:07 a.m. CT on ABC, and after a long offseason, this is the first chance to see whether Alabama can start the year the way it wants to.
The biggest priority is simple: make the run game matter.
That was one of the ugliest issues for Alabama a year ago. At times the Tide found ways around it, but when the pressure rose in postseason losses to Georgia and Indiana, the lack of a dependable ground attack stood out.
This year’s setup looks very different. Four new starters are in place up front, and Michael Carroll is the only returning piece on the offensive line after moving from right tackle to right guard.
There’s plenty of change to sort through. Jackson Lloyd is set at left tackle, Will Sanders is working at guard on that side, Cal Poly transfer Racin Delgatty is at center and Mississippi State transfer Jayvin James is at right tackle in Carroll’s old spot. How fast that group comes together will tell the story early.
The backfield has its own mix of returning talent and fresh faces. Daniel Hill is back and is expected to be the most impactful returnee.
Kevin Riley could also play a major role. Five-star freshman EJ Crowell is back from a stretch of bad offseason injury luck and is available for Saturday, while another freshman, Trae’Shawn Brown, could be part of the rotation too.
However the carries get divided, Alabama needs the run game to look better right away. If there’s real progress there, the Tide should show it immediately.
That also ties directly into the quarterback situation. Keelon Russell won the battle over Austin Mack and will make his first start as Alabama’s quarterback after replacing Ty Simpson. This is a major moment for the Tide’s highest-profile position battle, and Russell’s first start will come on the biggest stage he’s ever handled.
Russell was always the upside choice. Mack brought more experience to the competition, but Alabama’s coaches clearly valued Russell’s ceiling enough to hand him the job.
Saturday will be his biggest test yet. He has seen the field a few times as a freshman, so Bryant-Denny won’t be completely unfamiliar territory. Still, this will be his first real run in a stadium of this size, and the hope for Alabama is that the environment doesn’t speed him up.
If the offensive line can keep him fairly clean, that would go a long way. The goal is not for Russell to light everything up in one afternoon. It’s to get through the opener, settle in and come out looking far more comfortable as a college quarterback.
On the other side of the ball, Alabama’s job is to look like the defense that should keep this team on steady ground.
A lot of the offseason conversation centered on offense, and for good reason. The quarterback battle drew attention, and the unit’s struggles in the Rose Bowl loss to Indiana only made that louder. But the defense brings back a lot, especially in the secondary.
Safeties Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb both had the chance to test the NFL Draft waters and chose to return. Cornerbacks Zabien Brown and Dijon Lee are back, too, along with Red Morgan at nickelback, the “husky” spot in Kane Wommack’s defense.
Yhonzae Pierre also returns at edge, and he’s been Alabama’s top pass-rush threat under Wommack over the last two seasons. Pierre posted eight sacks last year.
There are new pieces across the defensive line, and both inside linebacker spots are being filled by different players. Even so, the overall talent level is still high. Transfers Devon Thompkins and Caleb Woodson bring power conference experience into the mix.
Against East Carolina, the defense’s assignment is to make things look routine. If Alabama can put together a businesslike, dominant showing, it can let the offensive questions stay on the other side of the ball as SEC play gets closer.
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