Alabama is barely more than three weeks from kicking off the 2026 season at home against East Carolina, and the Crimson Tide’s preseason spot in Sports Illustrated’s top 25 hasn’t budged.
In Wednesday’s preseason ranking, Alabama landed at No. 15, the same place Sports Illustrated put the Tide in its Jan. 19 “way-too-early” list and again after spring practice. The ranking comes as Alabama heads into Year 2 under head coach Kalen DeBoer after finishing 11-4 last season.
The Crimson Tide’s year ended with a College Football Playoff loss to Indiana at the Rose Bowl. Alabama entered that game ranked No. 9 and stayed at No. 9 in the final AP Top 25 after the Hoosiers beat Miami for the national title.
Sports Illustrated’s Tim Capurso paired the ranking with a season prediction for every team in the top 25, and his read on Alabama is a sharp one: a fast start, then a stumble late. He projects the Tide to open 5-0 before fading down the stretch and missing the playoff.
“Keelon Russell wins the starting QB job and hits the ground running, as the Crimson Tide feast on an easier schedule to begin the season undefeated,” Capruso wrote. “All is sunshine and roses for Alabama.
But underlying concerns-Russell’s inexperience, a reshuffled offensive line-come to a head in a difficult October stretch that includes games against Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M and LSU. Kalen DeBoer will miss the playoff for the second time in three seasons, conjuring up memories of Ray Perkins in Tuscaloosa.”
The quarterback battle has been one of the biggest storylines of Alabama’s offseason, with senior Austin Mack and sophomore Keelon Russell fighting for the job. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said in the spring the competition is “pretty even,” and he repeated that message on Monday. DeBoer has also made it clear that a two-QB setup is not in the cards.
Up front, Alabama’s offensive line remains another major question. The unit was at the center of one of the worst run games in the FBS, and the response was a change on the staff: Chris Kapilovic was let go and replaced by USC defensive analyst Adrian Klemm. The Tide appear to have three spots settled - left tackle Jackson Lloyd, center Racin Delgatty and right guard Michael Carroll - while left guard and right tackle are still open competitions.
October is where the schedule turns hard, and Alabama’s slate of SEC games there will ask plenty of this team. Georgia and Texas A&M come to Tuscaloosa, which gives the Tide a home-field edge in those matchups, but Tennessee and LSU still loom as difficult trips. Alabama lost its last two road games at Tennessee, and while it has won the last three meetings with LSU, the Tigers are now under new head coach Lane Kiffin ahead of the Baton Rouge game.
In Other News...
Alabamas First Scrimmage Could Reshape The Offense In A Hurry
Alabama is nearing its first fall camp scrimmage with a string of offensive decisions still very much in play, and the timing matters because so much of the unit is tied together. The quarterback competition is still the headline, but the bigger picture includes a running game that needs to keep taking shape, a wide receiver group still searching for a dependable third option, and an offensive line that is working toward the kind of cohesion that usually only shows up once the competition starts heating up in earnest.
Ryan Grubb has sounded encouraged about the backs and the internal competition in that room, which gives the Tide a starting point as camp gets more detailed. Wide receiver depth is still being sorted out, and the line is not fully settled either, with several players fighting to lock down the final jobs before the season gets too close for comfort. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Run Game Fix May Depend On One New Tackle
Alabamas push to get the ground game moving better this fall has started up front, where Kalen DeBoer is trying to reshape the offensive line and give the run game a sturdier foundation. A big part of that effort has been the addition of Mississippi State transfer Jayvin James, a right tackle whose arrival has added another layer of competition to a group the staff wants to see take real steps forward.
James has drawn steady praise during camp as he works through the transition, and the staff has liked the way he and Texas transfer Nic Brooks have both handled the challenge. The two are tied into a battle at right tackle, and the way that job settles could say plenty about how quickly Alabamas revamped line can help change the look of the rushing offense. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Rebuilt O-Line Faces Its Toughest Camp Reality Yet
Alabamas offensive line has been one of the more closely watched projects of fall camp, and for good reason. Under Adrian Klemm, the group is in the middle of a rebuild, trying to settle in quickly enough to hold up against the kind of fronts the Crimson Tide will see once the games start counting. The internal standard is obvious: match the physicality of a defensive line that has repeatedly set the tone in practice.
Kalen DeBoer has pointed to steady progress, especially in communication, assignments, and the basics of run and pass protection, which is the sort of forward motion Alabama needs before the schedule turns serious. But camp reports only tell part of the story, and the real test will come against strong regular-season opponents, where the lines growth will have to show up under pressure rather than in drills. [Read more 🡒]