Alabama has its first of two scrimmages of fall camp on Thursday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The scrimmage will be closed to the media, so it remains to be seen how much intel gets leaked, but it's still a pivotal day for Crimson Tide players looking to position themselves for roles on the 2026 team.
The most pivotal battle is at QB between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, but barring something unforeseen, that competition will extend into the second scrimmage and potentially even into the first week of the season.
There's plenty of competition at other positions, and today's scrimmage will be pivotal for players looking to make a move up the depth chart.
Let's take a look at four Tide players to watch today:
OG William Sanders
There is intense competition at left guard. It felt like a foregone conclusion that the job would be junior William Sanders' to lose this season. He was a rotational piece up front for the Crimson Tide last year, and he is very well thought of for his athletic ability by the coaching staff in this system. But Sanders missed spring and a good chunk of the summer with an injury, which has allowed sophomore Mal Waldrep to seize control of the LG spot, and he may not give it back.
Sanders still has an opportunity to make his move, but he'll need to really stand out during the scrimmages this week and next. Waldrep has been an under-the-radar player for Alabama since he signed in the 2025 recruiting class, but he's a guy the staff really likes.
Right now, Waldrep has the lead for the job, but Sanders has a chance to make up some ground today.
LB Luke Metz
Sophomore LB Luke Metz has drawn significant recent praise from defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. It appears that Metz is going to have a role in the Alabama defense regardless, but he's pushing junior QB Reese for the starting spot at "Sting" LB next to Virginia Tech transfer Caleb Woodson, who has locked up the "Mike" LB position.
Metz is a physical player who plays with his hair on fire. He's one of the young linebackers that the staff has been high on for quite some time, which is the reason they only pursued the one transfer in the portal despite losing their top three off-ball 'backers from last season.
Reese currently has the inside track, but Metz has a chance to close the gap during the scrimmage and make it a difficult decision for the coaching staff.
WR Cederian Morgan
Freshman Cederian Morgan appears to be running in third behind Rico Scott and Derek Meadows for the WR3 spot behind Ryan Coleman-Williams and Lotzeir Brooks. That's not due to talent, but simply due to time in the system and Morgan still needing time to learn the ins and outs of playing WR at this level.
But rest assured, Morgan is going to have a role on this team, even when NC State transfer Noah Rogers recovers from his injury. He's extremely impressive physically and has earned rave reviews from teammates and coaches alike since he stepped foot on campus back in December for Rose Bowl practices.
Morgan will look to make a move during Thursday's scrimmage, showing the coaches once again that his talent is undeniable. While Scott and Meadows have the edge thanks to experience, Morgan is one of the most talented players on the roster. He's going to make it difficult to keep him on the sideline.
RB EJ Crowell
After missing pivotal reps during the spring due to an injury, a healthy EJ Crowell is ready to make his move. In a full-contact scrimmage, Crowell has the opportunity to really showcase his ability. He's the most explosive running back on the roster and could be the home run hitter the Crimson Tide has been missing at the position since Jahmyr Gibbs turned pro.
Both Daniel Hill and AK Dear have had good offseasons and have positioned themselves as the likely No. 1 and No. 2 on the depth chart at this point, but it's only a matter of time before Crowell carves out a significant role for the Crimson Tide.
His performance today could put him in position for an early role.
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