Greg McElroy doesn’t have Alabama anywhere near the “safe” category, and that’s exactly what makes his read on the Crimson Tide so interesting.
On his Always College Football podcast, the former Alabama quarterback framed Kalen DeBoer’s team as one with championship-level upside but plenty of uncertainty underneath it. The defense looks loaded. The offense, though, is staring at two huge questions: who wins the quarterback job, and can a rebuilt offensive line finally revive a run game that disappeared last season?
That’s the tension hanging over Alabama entering 2025. McElroy said the Crimson Tide are one of the oddest teams on his board, not because they lack talent, but because people can’t quite agree on how to value them. Oddsmakers put Alabama third in its own league, and even that felt generous to some.
The numbers from last season explain why the skepticism exists. Alabama started with a loss to Florida State, then ripped off eight straight wins.
It beat four ranked teams in four consecutive weeks without a bye and ended Georgia’s 33-game home winning streak. But the season finished with a brutal reality check: Indiana physically overwhelmed Alabama in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal, handing the Tide their worst loss in nearly 30 years.
McElroy pointed straight at the offense as the source of the problem. Alabama averaged 104 rushing yards per game, which ranked 125th nationally, and managed negative-3 rushing yards in the SEC Championship loss to Georgia. That kind of production leaves too much on the quarterback’s shoulders, and Alabama is now trying to sort out that position after Ty Simpson’s departure for the NFL.
The competition is between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, and McElroy believes both have a case. “I would be surprised if Austin Mack didn't get a real long look, because the staff really trusts him,” he said, while noting that Russell is the five-star prospect with the higher ceiling.
DeBoer has made it clear that the offense knows exactly where it needs to improve. At SEC Media Days, he said, “We want to be able to run the football better,” adding, “That's something that we've addressed and stressed within our team.”
The overhaul up front was severe. Alabama moved on from offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic, brought in Adrian Klemm and remade the line almost from scratch. Sophomore Michael Carroll is the lone returning starter after 11 players left the room, and the Tide added six transfers, a junior college player and four freshmen.
That kind of turnover would worry most programs, but McElroy’s point is that the group couldn’t have been much worse than last year’s version. Alabama’s line has a long way to go, but it also has room to improve fast.
The quarterback battle has stayed tight deep into the summer, and DeBoer has said the staff trusts the whole group. What he keeps coming back to is something less tangible than arm strength.
“The poise to lead, the poise in the big moments,” he said. “That's hard for the guys that haven't taken the valuable snaps that these guys haven't had a chance to have.”
Mack brings experience and a better feel for the system after following DeBoer from Washington. Russell brings a bigger ceiling and more threat as a runner. That decision, paired with the line’s progress, will go a long way toward determining where Alabama lands this fall.
If there’s a reason to believe the ceiling is still high, it starts on defense. Alabama returns all five starters in the secondary, which is rare in the portal era.
All-American safety Bray Hubbard is back after passing on the NFL to chase a title. Cornerback Zabien Brown also returns after turning interceptions into touchdowns against Tennessee and Oklahoma last year, and safety Keon Sabb is back too.
That group gives Alabama a real foundation. The schedule also leaves room for statement wins, with Florida State coming to Tuscaloosa for a revenge shot and Georgia visiting in October.
The talent is there for another playoff push. The question is whether the new quarterback settles in, protects the football and whether the rebuilt offensive line finally opens enough holes to let Alabama run the ball again.
In Other News...
Alabama Backups Face A Fall Camp Fight That Could Change Everything
With fall camp approaching, Alabama is heading into one of those stretches where every rep carries extra weight, especially for players trying to move from promising depth pieces into real contributors. Quarterback Austin Mack and linebacker QB Reese are among the names with a lot riding on the coming weeks, and the staff has only made the room tighter by bringing in transfers to push the competition. For a roster that is never short on talent, camp is where the pecking order starts to harden, and for a few backups, it can be the difference between carving out a role and getting squeezed out.
The pressure is especially real for players in contested spots, where the depth chart can shift quickly once practice starts and the coaching staff begins sorting out who can actually handle game-day responsibility. Wide receiver Rico Scott is one of the players watching that battle closely, with more bodies in the room making every path to playing time more difficult. If those openings do not come, the next move for some players could be far less certain, which is why this camp looms as more than just another preseason checkpoint. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Fans Just Found A New Team To Root Against In 2026
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Indianas slate does not look like a routine walk through the Big Ten, with several games that appear far more winnable than others and a few matchups that should bring real resistance. For Alabama fans looking for a fresh rooting interest, the appeal is obvious: if Cignetti keeps talking, some may be just as happy pulling for Indianas opponents as they are watching the Hoosiers try to navigate a tricky schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Nate Oats May Have Found An Unexpected Frontcourt Opportunity
Alabama entered the offseason with a full 15-man roster already taking shape for 2026-27 after adding three big men through the transfer portal and keeping several important pieces in place. That kind of early roster security usually leaves little room for surprises, but the recent eligibility ruling involving seniors from the class of 2022 has opened an unusual window around the sport, at least for now.
One name tied to that opportunity is former Michigan State big man Jaxon Kohler, whose status under the preliminary injunction has drawn interest from multiple programs, Alabama included. Even so, the Crimson Tide are not viewed as a likely landing spot, which makes this more of a monitor-and-wait situation than a clear pursuit, but it is the sort of frontcourt wrinkle Nate Oats and his staff will keep on the radar as the roster picture continues to settle. [Read more 🡒]