Alabama opened the 2026 season with a serious unknown. As every Crimson Tide fan knows, it was the offensive line. The Crimson Tide will almost certainly be without its best offensive lineman on Saturday against the Kentucky Wildcats. A serious unknown has become a bigger unknown.
Alabama right guard Michael Carroll is listed as doubtful for Saturday due to a mild concussion. If Alabama overcomes the loss of Carroll and beats Kentucky handily, Crimson Tide coach Adrian Klemm should become a favorite for the Broyles Award.
Alabama's starter in place of Carroll has not been announced. That information will likely be closely held until Saturday. And the starter may not play all the snaps, because Klemm has options. Most likely, Will Sanders will move from left guard to right guard, and Michael Waltrip will take over the left guard position. Sanders might not move, and Waltrip fills in at right guard. Both are good players. Neither one is on the level of Michael Carroll. As such, 'next man up' does not adequately explain how much less Alabama will be without Carroll.
Alabama right tackle Jayvin James and Carroll were an effective run-blocking duo against East Carolina. Will a new guy at his left shoulder hinder James' success? East Carolina's defensive linemen were no slouches. Kentucky's d-line may not be great, but it was expected to be good enough to challenge Alabama even with a healthy Carroll.
How much will the Alabama offense adjust?
How much will the DeBoer-Grubb offensive schemes change without Carroll? That's another unknown. The loss of one player, even a key one, should cause adjustments rather than significant change. Kentucky's defensive backfield should still be vulnerable, unless the Tide's pass protection frequently collapses.
The situation is far from gloom and doom for the Crimson Tide. Alabama's strong defense can pick up some slack if the offense is less effective.
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