The first AP poll of 2026 delivered a tough message for Alabama, and it landed all the way down at No. 13. That’s the Crimson Tide’s lowest preseason ranking since they opened at No. 24 in 2018, and it was enough to set off the usual wave of complaints about disrespect.
On the surface, it’s easy to see why Alabama fans bristled. The Tide won 11 games and reached the Rose Bowl last season, and with so much talent on both sides of the ball, falling outside the top 10 feels like a slap. But the reaction isn’t universal, and not everyone sees the ranking as some grand slight.
Patrick Dowd of Touchdown Alabama argued that the skepticism is justified. As he pointed out, a major piece of Alabama’s offense is gone now that quarterback Ty Simpson has left for the NFL, leaving Austin Mack and Keelon Russell in an unresolved battle at the position heading into the first rankings.
That uncertainty at quarterback is only part of the concern. Dowd also noted that Alabama is bringing back just one starting offensive lineman from 2025, and recent scrimmage intel suggests the unit still has plenty of work ahead before it gets the offense back on track.
There’s also the larger reality of where Alabama stands now. The Crimson Tide are no longer operating as the same kind of machine they were under Nick Saban, and some observers even believed Kalen DeBoer’s team didn’t deserve a College Football Playoff berth last winter.
The other sting in the rankings is how SEC-heavy the list looks above Alabama. Six SEC teams are ranked ahead of the Tide, including LSU, which was described as an abject disaster last season. Oklahoma is also placed ahead of Alabama, even though the Crimson Tide beat the Sooners in the CFP last year.
So while “disrespectful” is the word Alabama fans reached for first, there are real reasons to wonder whether No. 13 is less insult and more warning sign. DeBoer still has plenty to prove in Tuscaloosa, and the 2026 rankings made that crystal clear.
In Other News...
Alabamas Quarterback Battle Is Starting To Tilt One Way
Fall camp has a way of sharpening every quarterback conversation, and Alabamas has started to narrow in a way that matters for the rest of the SEC. Around the country, several major programs are still sorting through open competitions, with Tennessee weighing Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre and schools like Iowa, North Carolina and Florida still without a definitive answer. In Tuscaloosa, the picture is becoming clearer as the Crimson Tide move closer to naming a starter.
Keelon Russell has emerged as the quarterback who appears to be ahead in the race, which gives Alabama a growing sense of direction as the season approaches. Austin Mack remains part of the conversation, but the gap seems to be forming at the right time for a staff trying to settle the position before the games start to count. Another checkpoint is coming soon, and the decision now feels less like a wide-open battle and more like one nearing its final turn. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas New Offensive Look Has One Huge Advantage This Season
Alabamas offense is leaning into size in a way that should make life easier for Ryan Grubb as the season unfolds. The coordinator has pointed to bigger receivers Derek Meadows and Cederian Morgan as players who can give the passing game a different feel, while also signaling that the Tides tight end room could become a major part of the plan. Kaleb Edwards, Marshall Pritchett, Danny Lewis Jr. and Josh Ford have all been in the mix as camp has gone on, giving the staff more ways to build around matchups rather than force the same look snap after snap.
Grubb has made it clear that the goal is to use personnel in a way that tests defenses and keeps Alabama flexible from down to down. The tight ends have stood out as a bright spot in camp, and the expectation is that their usage will rise as the offense settles in. For a unit looking for reliable answers and a little more strain on opposing coverage, that kind of depth gives the Tide a useful edge before the season even gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Offensive Line Is Suddenly Fueling Real Buzz At Camp
There is a little more life around Alabamas offensive line this camp after a strong practice caught the attention of Aaron Taylor, the former Notre Dame lineman and Super Bowl champion who watched the group up close. Taylor came away impressed with the way the Tide were moving people in the run game, pointing to cleaner technique and a more forceful approach than he saw before, while also crediting the influence of offensive line coach Klemm.
For Alabama, that kind of outside validation matters because the line has been a central question as the offense tries to establish itself early in the season. Taylors read was that the group looked improved in the core areas that decide whether a team can control games at the line of scrimmage, and he especially noted the progress in run blocking. The question now is how consistently that camp buzz carries over once the real snaps start adding up. [Read more 🡒]