Looking back on past experiences, whether they're personal moments, life chapters, or even the end of a season for a football team, you are often met with a mix of nostalgia, critique, frustration, and most importantly, clarity. This range of emotions is shared by many Alabama fans and its former players who actually know what it's like to rock Crimson in between those lines each Saturday.Â
Of those feelings, clarity is the only emotion both parties should hope Alabama feels this offseason when it comes to Kalen DeBoer, Kane Wommack, and Ryan Grubb fixing the issues that plagued them on both sides of the ball.
This feeling is confirmed by former Alabama National Championship linebacker and beloved fan favorite Rashaan Evans, when describing the bad taste left in the mouths of all Crimson Tide supporters this December and January following their embarrassing SEC title game loss to Georgia, then College Football Playoff exit to eventual national champions, Indiana. This clear lens view approach moving forward starts on the defensive side of the ball for Evans when asked 'what Wommack and Alabama need to improve moving forward into his third season as defensive coordinator in 2026.
"For me, as far as improvement, you can start from the frontline, I think that's the basis of it all," Evans told Ben Flanagan of AL.com when joining the Beat Everyone podcast this week. "You have to have a great frontline. I think some of the outside guys that we had had some really good splash plays, they made some plays and did some great things. Was it on the same caliber, as far as what we're used to, as far as getting to the quarterback like in the past? No, I don't think so. I think, as far as the secondary, we could also be a bit better at making big plays. When it comes to making tips and overthrows, causing the run to stay inside and not being able to splash on the outside, and the cornerbacks being able to make big plays when a runner gets to the outside."Â
To Wommack's credit, Alabama did show real signs of improvement on the defensive end from 2024 to 2025, cutting down its points allowed per game average by roughly a touchdown to reduce explosive plays, which helped the Tide grow from a volatile unit to a more consistent and possession-controlling defense. The Tide has seemed to address their defensive line early on this offseason with the pickup of transfer players like ex-Oregon DL Terrance Green and ex-USC DL Devan Thompkins, among others.
Rashaan Evans gave a brutally honest assessment of Alabama football under Kalen DeBoer
Evans then shifted his energy and analysis to the offensive side of the football, starting out with the combination of Alabama's putrid offensive line run blocking that led to the Tide having one of the weakest rushing attacks in all of college football last fall. This left Evans nothing but to state the obvious solution that most Crimson Tide fans have been outright begging for DeBoer and Grubb to figure out moving forward if Alabama wants to have any realistic opportunity of getting over the hump to return to their championship ways in 2026.
"I think they need to commit to that run game," Evans said. "I think that's what stapled our offense when it came to us being able to win games. And I'm not saying it was overly on the offense, but that offense, that run game allows the quarterback to have the opportunity to be able to spread defenses out. I mean, you've gotta keep defenses honest, and to know that you've got safeties being able to just walk up and being able to be comfortable, while not having any type of fear of being thrown over their heads, I think that's a problem. ... You've gotta go down the list on the running backs that you have, are they more ground and pound type RBs? Are they more scat backs? Do you need to put them out there on the perimeter and open the offense up so they can make some plays? I think just knowing the identity of the offense that you have is the most key factor, because then you can put the right type of players in their rightful position."Â
In my opinion, Evans is spot on and is definitely preaching to the choir of DeBoer and his offensive coaching staff. I say this because of the self awareness effort Alabama took this past January to reconstruct the Crimson Tide offensive front when bringing in six new bodies at the position to block for either potential QB, whether it's Austin Mack or Keelon Russell, along with adding an explosive, young RB in EJ Crowell to potentially pair with of Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley, AK Dear, and company. Plus, turning the page on a close friend in ex-offensive line coach Chris Kapolivic for a more proven commodity in newly hired OLine coach Adrian Kleem also should help.
For me and many Crimson Tide fans, along with those on the outside looking in, it'll truly be interesting to see how DeBoer, Grubb, and Wommack can successfully sculpt this version of the 2026 Alabama roster with a lot of moving pieces on both sides of the football still looking to properly fit in their place.