With fall camp opened up, the QB competition between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell might dominate the national headlines, but more important than that will be Alabama getting a lot more out of its offensive line than it did a season ago.
Alabama has to run the football better, and it has to protect the QB better. Both of those things start with an improved offensive line.
While Alabama fans want to believe things can't get worse up front, improvement is not a certainty. Not with four new starters and the loss of both Kadyn Proctor and Parker Brailsford, who could both be NFL starters in 2026.
While it's a fair question whether Alabama is more talented on the offensive line than last season, what doesn't seem to be in question is that the new guys Kalen DeBoer brought in are a better systematic fit for what he wants to do offensively.
One major thing working to their advantage appears to be new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, who is giving the room something they didn't have last season: the confidence in knowing they are receiving the right coaching.
“I think there’s a confidence that they’re being coached well, that they’re making the progression, and that the work that they’re doing on the side is paying off. I think they can feel that," DeBoer said after practice on Wednesday.
Kalen DeBoer says Alabama's offensive line is gaining confidence under Adrian Klemm
Confidence that they are being coached well was not something last season's offensive line had in abundance. DeBoer relieved Chris Kapilovic of his duties after two seasons with disappointing results up front. He hired Klemm, who had successful stints as the OL coach in college at both UCLA and Oregon, along with the NFL with the Steelers and Patriots.
He's a veteran coach with significant pedigree as a player and assistant. His addition appears to be paying quick dividends. Klemm is instilling confidence in the players, but he's also not afraid to coach and correct when he spots issues that need to be addressed.
"The film won’t lie, and they’ll be called out," DeBoer said. "I think that’s what he does a great job of, but he also does it in a way that is always teaching, always coaching. He’ll push them; he’ll do what you would expect an elite offensive line coach to do when it comes to demanding and getting after them. But he’s also got a way of building camaraderie, which is also very critical of an offensive line as they continue to build confidence.”
30 days from now, Alabama will take the field against East Carolina to open the 2026 season. The strides the offensive line takes over the next month will go a long way in determining what the ceiling - and the floor - is for DeBoer's third team.
A lot is being asked of Klemm in his first year in Tuscaloosa. It won't take a miracle for Alabama to be solid up front this season, but turning the line into an actual strength of the team certainly would qualify. But after last season, even just a "solid" offensive line would be a significant upgrade.
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