There is a lot of doubt surrounding the Alabama football program, both in the immediate present and the foreseeable future.
In spite of Kalen DeBoer's recent contract extension, doubt remains both inside and outside the fanbase whether he's the right man for the job.
Questions abound about whether Alabama has the resources to remain a superpower in college football in the pay-for-play era. The recent recruiting dip has not eased those concerns, though it certainly misses the forest for the trees.
But the immediate focus will be on the 2026 season and whether a young roster can get Alabama back to the College Football Playoff.
Most pundits believe Alabama is a fringe playoff team. The consensus in way-too-early rankings has them hovering between No. 12 and No. 16 or so. It's important to note that many of these pundits have been praying for the Crimson Tide's downfall for many years and are happy to try and shovel some dirt on the perceived grave.
Advanced metrics don't care about narratives, though. ESPN's FPI rankings, for instance, have a lot more confidence in Alabama next season than human pollsters. According to FPI, Alabama is a comfortable playoff team.
ESPN's FPI has Alabama at No. 8 in first 2026 rankings
FPI has Alabama at No. 8, which would be the third-best SEC team behind Texas (No. 2) and Georgia (No. 5). FPI gives Alabama a 41.3% chance of making it back to the College Football Playoff.
There are plenty of questions about the Crimson Tide for next season, all of which have been discussed ad nauseam. Can the offensive line come together, and can they work in conjunction with an improved RB room to fix Alabama's broken ground game? That's the biggest question facing this team.
But there's also a lot to like. Keelon Russell might be a superstar at the QB position, and Ryan Coleman-Williams and Lotzeir Brooks make up one of the best WR tandems in the country.
Defensively, Alabama should field one of the better units in the country. There may not be a better secondary in college football, with returning starters in Zabien Brown, Dijon Lee, Bray Hubbard, and Keon Sabb all returning, along with impressive supporting pieces like Red Morgan, Zay Mincey, and Ivan Taylor.
The defensive line is expected to take a step forward thanks to the portal additions of Devan Thompkins (USC) and Terrance Green (Oregon).
Kane Wommack will need a young LB to step up next to Virginia Tech transfer Caleb Woodson, but there's a lot of talent between QB Reese, Cayden Jones, and Luke Metz. You have to figure one of them will step up and be a quality player in the middle.
There has been a lot of doom and gloom about the present and future of this program, but the new FPI ranking should be an important reminder that Alabama has a chance to be really good in 2026.
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