Alabama’s offensive line is starting camp with a very different look, and Kalen DeBoer is already seeing signs that the group is moving in the right direction.
The Crimson Tide have a new leader in Adrian Klemm, plus a room built around four freshmen, a junior college addition and six transfers, all mixed in with a small group of returners. Of that returning group, only one brings what DeBoer would call real experience. It’s a lot of change for a unit that needs to get on the same page fast.
Still, after Alabama’s first preseason practice on Wednesday, Aug. 5, DeBoer said the line looked sharper than it did when spring ended.
"Today, I thought it looked a lot better and cleaner than what it did at the end of spring," DeBoer said after Alabama 's first preseason camp practice Wednesday, Aug. 5. "We don't have pads on, so it's going to be hard to tell.
"There's got to be a trust that exists. It's (not) just doing your job, it's knowing where's that next help coming from?
It's the double team, it's the footwork. We got to be in sync.
You know you can rep a lot of those things and make sure you are on the same page in the summer. You can tell that the guys have been working at that and being intentional about that too."
One of the biggest boosts for that group is the return of William Sanders, who missed spring with an injury. Sanders is back on the field as one of the few linemen who has already lived through what it means to be an Alabama offensive lineman, even if his résumé is limited to 193 game snaps over two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus.
"Another guy who knows how things go," DeBoer said, mentioning Sanders alongside Michael Carroll and Jackson Lloyd, both of whom appear to have their starting jobs lined up.
And the improvement isn’t just coming from the familiar faces. DeBoer also pointed to progress in the right tackle battle between Mississippi State transfer Jayvin James and Texas transfer Nick Brooks. He said both linemen have "come a long ways" in consistency and have shown the kind of potential they’re capable of.
Alabama opens the 2026 season at 11 a.m. CT Saturday, Sept. 5, at Bryant-Denny Stadium against East Carolina.
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DeBoer pointed to leadership and the way the quarterbacks respond during practice as a key part of the evaluation, which is why this battle figures to keep unfolding well beyond the first few sessions. For now, the coaches are seeing two passers who have been consistent enough to stay squarely in the mix, and Alabama is still waiting for the performance that separates one from the other. [Read more 🡒]