Alabama’s pass rush has been one of the biggest talking points around the defense over the last two seasons, and the numbers back up the concern. In 2024, the Crimson Tide finished 64th nationally with 25 sacks. That total climbed to 33 in 2025, but Alabama also played two more games than it did the year before, so the jump only told part of the story.
The push to create more pressure was a clear priority in fall camp last season, but the results never fully matched the emphasis. Alabama got closer to the quarterback more often, yet still struggled to finish plays with sacks.
LT Overton came into the year with a bold target of double-digit sacks in his final season, but after missing two games because of illness, he ended up with four. Yhonzae Pierre was the team’s sack leader with eight.
Pierre’s return gives Alabama at least one proven piece to build around. He had the chance to enter the 2026 NFL Draft, but chose to come back for his fourth season.
If he puts together a big year, he could put himself in position to be a first-round pick in the 2027 draft. For Alabama, though, his production may be essential if the Tide are going to make real progress as a pass-rushing unit.
That’s because Pierre is the only one back from Alabama’s top six sack-getters from last season. The Tide will need new names to step forward, including USC transfer Devan Thompkins and South Carolina transfer Desmond Umeozulu.
There’s also room for younger returners such as London Simmons and Justin Hill to make a leap. Alabama has also shown it can create pressure with secondary packages, and Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb both recorded sacks last season.
Even with the questions, the expectation here is that Alabama’s sack total will rise in 2026.
In Other News...
Georgia Just Landed Among College Footballs Most Valuable Blue Bloods
The Athletics latest look at theoretical college football market values offers another reminder of how much brand power drives the sports biggest names. Using reported revenues and comparisons to pro franchise sales, the outlet put Texas at the top of the list, with Ohio State, Notre Dame and Michigan also near the summit, underscoring how the blue bloods continue to separate themselves even in a landscape shaped by realignment and escalating money.
Alabama is right there in the mix, projected at about $1.8 billion, and the SECs footprint remains impossible to ignore with multiple programs showing up among the sports most valuable properties. The exercise is only an estimate, not a price tag, but it still raises the same question every time these rankings surface: just how high would the market go if one of college footballs giants were ever truly put on the block? [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Is Starting To Change One National Analysts Mind
At SEC Media Days, Alabama walked into Tampa with plenty of skepticism hanging over its 2026 outlook, the kind that comes with a program that no longer gets the benefit of the doubt from national voices. Most experts have the Tide outside the College Football Playoff picture, but Kalen DeBoer and his players kept talking like a group that believes it has more in it than the outside world is willing to grant.
Zabien Brown helped reinforce that impression with the kind of quiet confidence coaches love to see in July, and even one national analyst came away sounding less doubtful than he did before the trip. Chris Doering said Alabamas presence, especially Browns, left him thinking this team might be better than expected, a notable shift for a group still trying to convince everyone it belongs back in the championship conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Parker Brailsford Is Already Making Alabama Fans Feel Vindicated
Parker Brailsfords first few weeks with the Browns have already given Alabama fans a reason to smile. The fifth-round pick has turned heads in rookie minicamp and again at the start of training camp, showing the kind of early polish that can make a late draft slot look a little silly in hindsight.
The bigger takeaway for Tide watchers is the position he is entering with real momentum. Cleveland came into camp expecting veteran Elgton Jenkins to handle center, but Brailsfords play has put some pressure on that setup and opened the door to a possible shift up front, which is exactly the kind of development that can make a draft-day slide feel like a bargain. [Read more 🡒]