The QB competition between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell has generated the most headlines, but Alabama fans know the position group most important for the offense's success in 2026 is the offensive line.
Whether Mack or Russell ultimately wins the job, most fans are comfortable in knowing that the QB position is in good hands. Both signal-callers are insanely talented, and whoever comes out on top will have won the job - no one will have lost it.
Alabama's offense struggled a season ago despite having one of the nation's top quarterbacks in Ty Simpson. Nothing will be different with Mack or Russell under center if the offensive line doesn't take a gigantic step forward.
Kalen DeBoer took several measures to ensure that this offseason. He fired OL coach Chris Kapilovic, replacing him with veteran OL coach Adrian Klemm, who had successful tenures in both college and the NFL. He also hired away Louisville's OL coach Richard Owens to coach the Crimson Tide's tight ends, providing an extra emphasis on the run game.
He also flipped the room almost entirely with 11 new players in the position group. There's talent and versatility all over the place, but not a whole lot of experience. Klemm is tasked with building this line from the ground up, and according to DeBoer, it's the mentality that Klemm brings that was missing the last two years more than technique or scheme.
Kalen DeBoer believes Adrian Klemm is installing an 'attitude' in Alabama's offensive line
"You have to have that mentality. You don't install an attitude with plays. You install an attitude with just a group coming together and the chemistry," DeBoer told Greg McElroy on Mac and Cube last week. "And Coach Klemm has done a great job with the mindset piece. He's a great teacher, and our guys appreciate that, and have gotten a lot better throughout the spring because of that. And I feel like, again, we've taken a lot of big steps.
"And I think what you alluded to early on, I know our schemes and our philosophy, I know you can run the football. I know you can do it downhill. It's just a matter of you got to do it. And we didn't do a very good job of that at all — it was pretty disappointing how it all played out. But I know we've done it before, every place we've been. Great offenses have to have the ability to run and pass. It just depends on what the defense gives you."
The A-Day scrimmage didn't paint the rosiest picture of the offensive line, but it's important to remember that we're still a long way from Week 1 in September. There's some promise up front, highlighted by returning starter Michael Carroll, who will man either the right guard or right tackle spot for the Crimson Tide.
Cal Poly transfer Racin Delgatty will be the starting center, and rising redshirt freshman Jackson Lloyd is firmly in the driver's seat at left tackle. The return of William Sanders in fall camp from his injury that held him out of spring will be a factor in the battle for Alabama's starting offensive guard spots.
There's reason for optimism that the offensive line will take a big step forward next year. And if it does, everything else is in place for DeBoer's third team in Tuscaloosa to be his best one yet and reestablish Alabama at its rightful perch atop college football.
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