Heading into the final two practices of April and over the summer, Alabama's offensive line picture is still being sketched out rather than finalized. With pieces and combinations taking shape under Kalen DeBoer and new Tide offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, roles are still up for grabs. And in that kind of unfinished blueprint, sophomore lineman Michael Carroll functions less like a fixed starter and more like a multi-tool in the hands of an architect—someone who doesn't just fill a designated slot, but a player who reshapes how every piece around him can be arranged and ultimately used.
This skillset was shown throughout the spring, as the 6-foot-6, 321-pounder split time at both right guard and right tackle. Carroll's versatility is something rare at this stage: freedom. Instead of locking into rigid fronts, DeBoer and Klemm can now construct the rest of this unit with interchangeable parts, knowing Carroll can stabilize either the interior or the edge depending on the opposing matchup, injury situation, or the game plan. That flexibility becomes especially valuable in pass protection and short-yardage physicality packages, where alignments can shift without weakening cohesion.
During A-Day, Carroll held his own while starting at right guard before rotating at right tackle for Mississippi State transfer Jayvin James after a shaky start, further validating DeBoer's evaluation of his positional value. Afterward, DeBoer spoke about his versatility along the offensive line.
Kalen DeBoer highlights Carroll's versatility as Alabama still searches for answers among the Tide OLine
“The last part of spring, he has played mostly guard just with the physicality he brings," DeBoer said. "He played some guard early on when he came in here. We knew he would be pretty good at it, like really good at it. There are some things that he can do against the big matchup, and then also in the pass protection, he can get out there in space because of what he can do as a tackle. He is a flex guy, for sure, but he has taken more guard reps here in the latter part of the spring.”
With James showing inconsistency and redshirt junior Will Sanders expected to be in the mix for a starting role at left guard, DeBoer and Klemm are still weighing their option opened when it comes to swinging Carroll outside.
Transfers Ethan Fields and Nick Brooks also remain firmly in the conversation, both split reps at guard in Carroll's previous run there, giving the staff a more complex evaluation as the Tide front continues to sort things out amongst projected starting center Racin Delgatty and Jackson Lloyd at left tackle. If Carroll ultimately has to kick outside full-time at tackles the ripple effect inside the Alabama offensive line becomes immediate—and defining.
The move would effectively shift the entire structural balance of the unit, forcing DeBoer and Klemm to treat the right side as a two-layer puzzle rather than a fixed pairing. And with his staff likely prioritizing consistency and communication over upside, every rep inside suddenly carries amplified weight, because the margin for error shrinks once a player like Carroll—who previously masked flexibility issues—is no longer available as a stabilizing fallback.
One more factor shaping the conversation is Alabama's inconsistent run game, which managed just 61 total yards on the day between Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley, AK Dear, Trae'shawn Brown, and Khalifa Keith. That output only reinforces Carroll's productivity at both spots, which could give DeBoer more to think about up front. And with a unit still in the process of being defined, his ability to cross-train at multiple positions may ultimately determine how many options the Tide have in putting together the most effective lineup ahead of the 2026 regular season.