The Alabama Crimson Tide will kick off their 2026 campaign this Saturday when they play host to East Carolina in a game they should dominate.

Remember: last year, Alabama opened up against Florida State and was dealt a brutal loss. That is something it should have no trouble avoiding this time.

Regardless, the Crimson Tide are under a whole lot of pressure heading into the season. Alabama fans are accustomed to seeing their team constantly compete for championships, but the last couple of have been rather dull, to say the least.

Kalen DeBoer is attempting to save his reputation, and several Tide players are facing their own individual pressures this fall.

On that note, here are the three Alabama players under the most pressure this season.

Zabien Brown is widely viewed as one of the best cornerbacks in the country and is considered by many to be first-round talent going into the year.

That's exactly why he is facing a heavy burden.

Brown is coming off of an impressive sophomore campaign in which he registered 39 tackles, a couple of pick-sixes and six passes defended. He also logged three interceptions during his freshman year in 2024.

A former five-star recruit, Brown is terrific in man coverage and has all of the tools you would want from a top-flight NFL corner.

But in such a deep cornerback draft class, any miscues could ultimately cause Brown's stock to drop.

Chances are, Brown will be just fine and will remain a lynchpin in Alabama's secondary. But we also can't overlook the possibility of an off year, which would be disastrous for his draft status.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong for Ryan Coleman-Williams in 2025, but he was absolutely a massive disappointment.

After an incredibly strong freshman campaign in which Coleman-Williams hauled in 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, the wide out took a big step back last year, finishing with 49 catches for 689 yards and four scores.

There were times throughout the season where Coleman-Williams was all but invisible in Alabama's offense, which is inexcusable when you consider just how talented he is.

For a moment in 2024, he was so good that he was even rivalling Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith. Obviously, that's no longer a competition.

However, Coleman-Williams is still viewed as a potential first-round pick in 2027 thanks to his tremendous burst and athleticism.

A strong bounceback from Coleman-Williams this fall would go a long in way in cementing his status as an early draft choice next spring.

But given how deep Alabama's wide receiver room is, Coleman-Williams must take extra care not to go M.I.A. again.

Keelon Russell beat out Austin Mack for the starting quarterback job, but that by no means indicates that Russell's position is permanent.

If Russell gets off to a slow start in 2026, DeBoer might not waste much time inserting Mack under center, especially given DeBoer's history with Mack (DeBoer has been coaching Mack since his final year at Washington in 2023).

Russell is just a redshirt freshman, so if he does ultimately lose his job, it wouldn't be the end of the world. But it also would be rather alarming, particularly when you account for just how much turnover there is at the quarterback position these days.

And while the Crimson Tide are not set to take on a ranked opponent until hosting Georgia on Oct. 10, Alabama still has some dicey matchups on its slate over the first five weeks.

Russell must approach the early stages of the fall with caution.