Alabama has had plenty of transfer portal turnover, and much of it needed after the Crimson Tide were bullied by No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl. While the defensive line is undergoing more than just a facelift, the offensive line is undergoing a complete reconstruction.
The changes began with three-year starting left tackle Kadyn Proctor declaring for the NFL Draft, along with Kalen DeBoer’s long-time center Parker Brailsford. In addition to their departures, Jaeden Roberts, Geno VanDeMark, and Kam Dewberry are out of eligibility, and Wilkin Formby, Micah DeBose, Olaus Alinen, Roq Montgomery, and Joseph Ionata are all in the transfer portal.
That mass exodus made 2025 five-star Michael Carroll that much more important to the O-line's future, and luckily, on Wednesday, the Crimson Tide locked him up. Reportedly, numerous teams were in hot pursuit of Carroll after his impressive true freshman season, but DeBoer and Courtney Morgan were able to fend them off to keep him in Tuscaloosa.
Carroll is now the only returning Alabama offensive lineman who played more than 200 snaps in 2025, and that’s probably a good thing.
Alabama locks Michael Carroll in for 2026 as only returning offensive line starter
Alabama’s offensive line was ostensibly filled with talented players, but they never performed to that level. The Tide finished with the 131st-ranked rushing offense in the country, and any time they encountered a quality defensive line, Ty Simpson was under constant duress. Caroll’s emergence at right tackle, which allowed Formby to kick inside to guard, was the group’s only bright spot.
DeBoer and Morgan already face a gargantuan task rebuilding the offensive line around Carroll, who can stay at tackle or kick inside to guard. William Saunders, who played 185 snaps at left guard for Ryan Grubb’s as a redshirt freshman, will likely compete for a starting job as well. Still, that leaves the Tide needing to fill three spots, and unless they trust 2025 four-star tackle Jackson Lloyd to start opposite Carroll, then left tackle, center, and right guard (or right tackle if Carroll moves inside) must be addressed through the portal.
The problem is that there is a short supply of capable offensive linemen in college football, as Alabama well knows. So, like with Carroll, programs pay up to keep the best ones from ever testing the open market at all. If the portal has a dearth of talent at any position, you can bet that every year it will be at the offensive line.
The Tide have honed in on a few targets, including LSU transfer DJ Chester, who could play any spot on the offensive line for them, but it’ll take more than just one move to field even a proficient SEC O-line next season. Without Carroll, that would’ve been impossible.