ESPN’s latest look at college football’s biggest villains landed on a familiar name for Alabama fans: Cam Newton.
As the 2026 season approaches, ESPN put together a list of one “archenemy” for each power conference program, and for the Crimson Tide, Mark Schlabach settled on the former Auburn star who authored one of the most unforgettable nights in Iron Bowl history.
Newton’s Auburn run lasted just one season, but it packed a full legacy into 2010. He guided the Tigers to an undefeated season, won the Heisman Trophy, and left Alabama fans with plenty to stew over.
Schlabach pointed to the eligibility controversy that surrounded Newton, noting that many Alabama fans still believe he should not have been allowed to play for Auburn after his father allegedly shopped him around to schools out of junior college. Auburn ruled Newton ineligible after an NCAA investigation, then reinstated him less than 24 hours later.
Then came the Iron Bowl.
In that game, Auburn ripped off the greatest comeback in program history, rallying from a 24-0 second-quarter deficit to beat Alabama 28-27. Newton threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in the win, a game forever remembered as the “Camback.”
Alabama has had the upper hand in the rivalry since then. Auburn has won the Iron Bowl only three times since 2010, while the Crimson Tide have taken six straight and 10 of the last 12 meetings overall.
Even with Auburn’s recent slide, the matchup has stayed on the national radar. Three of Alabama’s wins over the last six years have come by a single score, a reminder that this rivalry still tends to deliver drama.
The next chapter comes in Tuscaloosa, where Alabama will host Auburn to finish the 2026 regular season. The Tide will be aiming for a seventh straight win over their biggest rival.
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Yhonzae Pierre Just Put Alabama In A Big 2026 Conversation
Todd McShays early look at the 2026 edge-rush class put Alabama in a familiar spotlight, with the Crimson Tide represented among the SEC-heavy group of players expected to shape that conversation. The list also included South Carolinas Dylan Stewart and Texas Colin Simmons, a reminder that the conference remains loaded at the position and that Alabama is already being mentioned in the same breath as some of the sports most intriguing young pass rushers.
For Alabama, the more interesting part is less about the ranking itself and more about what it suggests for the Tides long-term defensive profile. With Stewart dealing with a back injury at the start of fall camp and Simmons coming off a season in which he led the SEC in sacks, the early discussion around 2026 edge talent already has some moving parts, and Pierres place in it gives Alabama another name to monitor as that picture develops. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama May Have Found A Freshman Receiver It Really Needs
Cederian Morgan has quickly become one of the more intriguing names in Alabamas receiver room as the freshman pushes for a meaningful role this season. With Noah Rogers sidelined by injury, the Crimson Tide have a real opening at wideout, and Morgan has drawn attention from coaches and teammates for the kind of catching ability and size that can make a young receiver hard to ignore.
He is part of a tight competition for snaps alongside Rico Scott and Derek Meadows, with returning starters Ryan Coleman-Williams and Lotzeir Brooks already in the mix. The question now is whether Morgan can turn the early praise into steady production and become the kind of reliable target Alabama can lean on, especially once the field shortens near the goal line. [Read more 🡒]
Ivan Taylor Embodies The Alabama Standard Fans Want Back
Ivan Taylor arrives in Tuscaloosa with the kind of background that fits Alabamas expectations, but he is not treating that as enough. The safety, and son of former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor, has spent time studying his fathers NFL career through highlights, using it as both a model and a benchmark as he settles into the Crimson Tide program. For a player trying to make his own name, that kind of lineage can be a burden or a boost, and Taylor seems intent on making it the latter.
What stands out is how naturally his perspective lines up with the standard Alabama wants back. Taylor points to the hard work his father drilled into him and the demanding environment around the program as the forces shaping his approach, which is exactly the blend the Tide have been trying to lean into heading into the season. The bigger question now is not whether he understands the bar, but how much of that standard he can help reestablish once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]