2026 Alabama Football Preview
Jake Wimberly
Abby Boyd Contributing -
What’s to like:
Kalen DeBoer is in his third season with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Throughout his career a pattern has emerged as his third year team tends to start aligning with the traits that he wants to implement in his team. The coaching staff has had multiple recruiting cycles to stock the roster with players that fit the system.
Through the transfer portal, Alabama has added players to help with their offensive line, such as, Nick Brooks from Texas, Jayvin James from Mississippi State, and two redshirt freshmen, Kaden Strayhorn and Ty Haywood from Michigan. They have also had major help in the defense with players such as, Devan Thompkins from USC and Terrance Green from Oregon.
They also bring back proven contributors who know the system. With key players returning, Ryan Williams, Bray Hubbard, Daniel Hill, and Keon Sabb, they can help guide incoming players to understand the system.
What’s not to like:
As talented as Alabama’s portal class may be, talent alone does not guarantee instant success. Integrating transfers into a new locker room, new playbook, and new coaching expectations takes time. Even experienced players can need time to fully adjust to the speed and complexity of learning a new system. If Alabama starts slowly, some of those growing pains could be a contributing factor.
The other concern is the rushing attack. Alabama’s ground game was inconsistent at times and lacked the dominance that has traditionally defined the program’s best teams. DeBoer’s offense is at its most dangerous when it can balance explosive passing concepts with an efficient run game. In order to be successful the Tide will need to improve their run game.
What does the Hourglass say?
Alabama- SEC (10-2)
Power ranking 121.65 The 11th toughest schedule in the SEC.
2026 Alabama Analytics
National recruiting rating (three year metric): #6- inside the boundary of a National Championship Roster.
National Coaching Ranking:
Kalen DeBoer- 6th in Power 5 and 3rd in the SEC.
2026 coaching value= 36.8 (average 2026 Power 5 coaching value=21.93) Kalen DeBoer is ranked high of the pack for coaches in the Power 5.
Quarterback Play: Keelon Russel- ranked 28th in the Power 4, 8th in the SEC; 2026 QB value= 35.7 (Power 4 average- 26.43).
Impact Ball Catcher Metric: Alabama has an Impact Ball Catcher Metric of 3. This puts the Tide at the middle tier for the SEC in this metric.
Final Thoughts:
Kalen DeBoer enters his third season at Alabama with a roster that continues to rank among the most talented in the country. The Crimson Tide addressed several needs through the transfer portal while returning key contributors on both sides of the ball, giving them the pieces to compete for a championship. There are still questions surrounding the offensive line and rushing attack, but if those areas improve, Alabama should once again be one of the conference's top team.
2026 Schedule analysis:
Projected Hourglass W/L record: Games in red denote games that could be a one possession game or even a different outcome than projection.
9/5/2026 East Carolina- Win
9/12/26 At Kentucky- Win
9/19/26 Florida State- Win
9/26/26 South Carolina- Win
10/3/26 At Mississippi State- Win
10/10/26 Georgia- Loss
10/17/26 At Tennessee- Win
10/24/26 Texas A&M- Win
11/7/26 At LSU- Loss
11/14/26 At Vanderbilt- Win
11/21/26 Chattanooga- Win
11/28/26 Auburn- Win
