Alabama’s trip to SEC Media Days in Tampa is set up to give Kalen DeBoer a full offseason check-in, and the first-year head coach will have plenty to unpack when he steps to the podium Wednesday.
DeBoer is expected to open with a long statement that touches on the offseason and lays out the 2026 roster before the questions start flying. And if the recent run of Alabama offseason chatter is any guide, the conversation will quickly turn to a few familiar pressure points.
The biggest one is the quarterback battle. That always becomes the center of gravity when Alabama has an open competition, and this year it’s redshirt junior Austin Mack and redshirt freshman Keelon Russell fighting for the job.
Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said on March 12 that the race was "pretty even," though Russell looked sharper about a month later at A-Day. DeBoer later said Mack was "dinged up" after the scrimmage and cautioned fans not to read too much into what they saw that day.
That update figures to come early.
Ryan Coleman-Williams is another name that will draw attention no matter what. The junior wide receiver enters the year as one of the faces of the program after a freshman season that turned him into a national sensation and landed him on the cover of a renowned video game franchise. His sophomore year, though, didn’t match that standard, with drops becoming a recurring problem for a player of his profile.
DeBoer has spent much of the offseason talking up Coleman-Williams’ growth, both on the field and away from it. The 19-year-old stayed in Tuscaloosa to train during the early part of the summer, and his role will be a major topic in Tampa. He’s also one of Alabama’s three player representatives and will be there next week.
Injuries have been a constant theme around DeBoer’s press conferences, and that won’t change now. In March, he said Jah-Marien Latham, London Simmons and Will Sanders would miss the entire spring, while Bray Hubbard would be limited.
Alabama freshman running back EJ Crowell was injured later that month and was seen riding a scooter while wearing a boot during A-Day. NC State transfer wide receiver Noah Rogers also took a hard fall during the spring scrimmage, left on a cart, and DeBoer later said the issue would "bleed into the season."
There’s also a lot of turnover to sort through on both sides of the ball. Alabama brought in new coaches at wide receivers, tight ends and offensive line, with Brian Ellis moving to quarterbacks in place of Nick Sheridan.
Up front, the offensive line will look very different, and Michael Carroll is the only returning starter. After last season’s run game struggled badly, blocking is one of the biggest questions facing the revamped group, and Adrian Klemm’s progress will be worth watching.
The defensive line has been reshaped too. Six players transferred out, and LT Overton and Tim Keenan III were selected in the NFL Draft.
Alabama added five defensive linemen through the portal, so there are plenty of pieces to sort out. The Tide appears to have depth, but the real question is whether that group can consistently pressure the quarterback and hold up against the run.
Then there’s the secondary, which Keon Sabb said during spring ball is the best in the country. He has a strong case, with Bray Hubbard, Zabien Brown and Dijon Lee Jr. giving Alabama a loaded starting group, while Red Morgan is expected to handle the Husky spot.
Still, even a talented first unit needs help behind it, and DeBoer should be ready to point to a few depth names who could break through. Among the likely candidates: Ivan Taylor, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., Zavier Mincey, Chuck McDonald III and Carmelo O'Neal.
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Mateer also had to handle a quick return from hand surgery before facing Texas, another reminder of how much he was juggling down the stretch. He acknowledged the rough patches while still sounding focused on what comes next, and for Oklahoma, the bigger question is how much those lessons can shape a quarterback who already knows the standard is only going up. [Read more 🡒]