Head coach Kalen DeBoer faces his least proven roster yet. Can Alabama rebound from disappointing seasons and prove they belong in 2026?
Alabama made progress in 2025 under second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer.
DeBoer led the Crimson Tide to an appearance in the SEC championship, and the team beat Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Still, what most people will remember about the 2025 Alabama team was the double-31-17 loss to a five-win Florida State team, a blowout loss to Georgia in the SEC championship, and a 38-3 loss to Indiana in the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.
DeBoer will try to make the third year a charm in Tuscaloosa.
ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Bill Connelly argued that the Crimson Tide have the "most to prove" during the 2026 season.
Alabama went 20-8 in coach Kalen DeBoer's first two seasons, so it's not like the Crimson Tide have fallen off a cliff since Nick Saban left, Schlabach wrote.
"DeBoer accepted the unenviable challenge of replacing the GOAT, a job others turned down. Alabama fans aren't used to losing four games in a season, so the Tide need to rebound in 2025."
Schlabach noted that Alabama's season could come down to how well new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm can do to get the running game going after a disastrous campaign in 2025.
Connelly thinks Alabama could have issues with quarterback Ty Simpson headed to the NFL.
"Simpson had to carry the Tide offense at times thanks to the total lack of a run game, and now Simpson is gone and the line is almost completely new (and I'm not sure Alabama got what it needed up front in the transfer portal)," Connelly wrote.
"The Tide will start an inexperienced quarterback with even less proven personnel. The defensive front seven is taking on a huge reset as well. This is a huge season for DeBoer, and he's looking at his least proven roster yet in Tuscaloosa."
DeBoer faced an uphill battle to become an elite recruiter at Alabama. He's not from the South, which doesn't help when he visits houses in SEC country.
Alabama didn't have the funds to compete with rival SEC schools like Texas and LSU, which took top running back and receiver talent in the transfer portal.
Those issues could make for a long season in Tuscaloosa unless DeBoer can develop his roster.