Fall camp gets rolling for Alabama next week, and while the highly anticipated QB battle between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell will generate a ton of attention, the most important position battles for the Crimson Tide's success in 2026 will be up front on the offensive line.
Alabama had a historically bad ground game last season, and Ty Simpson, despite his brilliance, was consistently running for his life with defenses pinning their ears back because they were never afraid of the Tide's ground game.
For Kalen DeBoer, fixing the offensive line and the ground game was priority number one this offseason. DeBoer flipped the offensive line room entirely, bringing in 11 new players up front in hopes that better system fits will help Alabama take a much-needed leap forward.
He also let go of offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic and brought in veteran Adrian Klemm to get things fixed.
More so than any one player, Klemm was the biggest addition to the team. According to ESPN, Klemm is Alabama's biggest X-Factor this season.
Klemm was a successful NFL coach with the Steelers and Patriots, and also had a lot of success in the college ranks at Oregon and UCLA.
The Adrian Klemm hire could make-or-break Kalen DeBoer's entire tenure as Alabama's head coach
If Klemm turns out to be the home run that Alabama needs, then DeBoer's tenure will get a massive boost. If the Crimson Tide has a good, or even great, offensive line in 2026, then this is an obvious playoff team. The talent is there everywhere else, but the offensive line is the biggest question mark.
It doesn't have to be an overnight fix, but Klemm needs to show some tangible signs of progress in his first season coaching the unit. If it's more of the same, or if Alabama takes a step backward, then DeBoer's going to be feeling the most amount of pressure he's felt to date.
DeBoer has done what he can to fix things. Along with hiring Klemm, he brought in Louisville offensive line coach Richard Owens to coach Alabama's tight ends. Owens has extensive experience coaching offensive lines and coordinating run games. He'll provide a boost, too.
Klemm's job won't be easy. Alabama only returns a single starter from last season in sophomore Michael Carroll. Only one other projected starter - Mississippi State transfer Jayvin James - has previous starting experience at the Power Four level.
Alabama also projects to start a first-timer at LT in rising sophomore Jackson Lloyd, Cal Poly transfer Racin Delgatty at C, and another first-time starter in Will Sanders at LG. There are a couple of other options who will compete that have some experience in the Power Four - Ole Miss' Ethan Fields and Texas' Nick Brooks - but for the most part, Klemm will be tasked with getting a young group up to speed in a hurry.
Regardless of whether it's Mack or Russell who wins the QB job, there's optimism that either one of them can play winning football for the Crimson Tide. But the team's ceiling - and its floor - will be determined by whether Klemm can get this offensive line to take a big leap forward.
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