There's a difference between having options and having options you actually want.
For Kalen DeBoer, Ryan Grubb, and first-year Crimson Tide offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, that distinction has become increasingly important as they determine who will earn Alabama's starting left guard position heading into the 2026 season.
A year ago, Alabama had plenty of options at the position, but quantity never translated into quality, as Kam Dewberry, Jaedan Roberts, Geno VanDeMark and Wilkin Formby cycled through the mix without any player showcasing enough consistency for the coaching staff to confidently settle on a definitive answer.
This year, the uncertainty is different. Underrated sophomore guard Mal Waldrep and junior Will Sanders have given DeBoer and Grubb legitimate reasons to keep the competition going.
Waldrep has taken advantage of his opportunities throughout the offseason, while Sanders worked his way back into the mix after recovering from a back injury that sidelined him all spring. Now that both have flashed while taking meaningful snaps in fall camp, Alabama isn't simply trying to find someone capable of filling the position.
It's determining which player has done enough to earn it. DeBoer explained how that early dynamic has shaped the competition heading into the final stretch of August.
Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb weigh options in Alabama's onging left guard battle between Will Sanders and Mal Waldrep
"Especially the first part of camp because Will had to work into things with his modifications, Mal took most of the reps, if not all of them," DeBoer said. "Will's been able to work in there more. So, there is competition."
While Waldrep's continued emergence could give him an edge, Grubb's comments Tuesday show that Sanders' return hasn't made the staff's decision any easier.
"I think we're close," Grubb said. "You know, we're right at game week, and it's been pretty consistently the same five. There's still a couple of battles that are lingering. Specifically, Mal and Will have been trading off one rep."
The fact that Alabama is still trading first-team reps between Waldrep and Sanders this close to the opener is telling.
This isn't last year's offensive line, where multiple players rotated through a position without anyone doing enough to definitely seize it. This time, the competition exists because both players have a legitimate case.
"So, we're pretty much there, but we'll leave it open to see if anybody shows up in these last couple of days before," Grubb continued.
If Waldrep wins the job, it won't simply be because Sanders missed time. It will be because Waldrep made himself difficult to replace. And if Sanders wins, Alabama will have reached that decision after giving both players a legitimate opportunity to prove they belong.
That's the difference.
A year ago, the Tide had options at guard but little confidence in the quality behind them. This year, DeBoer, Grubb, and Klemm have a legitimate decision worth making.
And for an offensive front still trying to establish itself, that may be the best kind of uncertainty Alabama could have going into the 2026 regular season.
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