At the risk of over-simplification, success for the 2026 Alabama Crimson Tide comes down to one thing. The one thing is having a consistent, effective running game. Alabama's weakness in running the ball last season was not its only problem. Pass protection was also unreliable, but that was related to an inability to run the ball.
Too often, Alabama's ineffective rushing attack led to too many predictable passing downs, allowing opposing defenses to dial up more pressure than Alabama blockers could handle. Alabama football fans were correct in blaming former offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic. Blame was also directed at Alabama Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb. The 2026 season will show how much of the Tide's rushing problems were on Grubb. As the Seattle Seahawks' OC, Grubb's running backs were ineffective.
2026 Alabama Crimson Tide Talent
Despite the frequent claims that Alabama did poorly in this Transfer Portal cycle, the Crimson Tide will not have a 2026 roster short on talent. Too much of it will be short on experience, but other than the offensive line, Alabama will have proven players all over the field. There are some questions about the tight ends, and depth at wide receiver is a small concern, but Alabama could be better at both running back and quarterback.
There is some justification that the Crimson Tide has lost too much talent on defense. Kane Wommack has a rebuild ahead in the front seven, but the secondary could be the SEC's best. No, Tim Keenan III, LT Overton, Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson, James Smith, and Qua Russaw suggest that Kane Wommack's defense will be less than last season. A counterargument is that the Tide's transfer defenders, along with young returning Tide players, will be better than adequate. Among Alabama's less experienced defensive linemen and inside linebackers are potential stars.
The 2026 schedule gives Kane Wommack time to shape his new defense. The Crimson Tide has a five-game run-up to serious competition before hosting the Georgia Bulldogs on Oct. 10.
Winning games requires more than successfully running the ball. However, Alabama's improvement in one stat is the key to success in multiple areas. Last season, in regular-season SEC games, Alabama was the SEC's No. 10 team at 39.31%. In three postseason games, Alabama's third-down conversions dropped to 21.62%. That is the problem the 2026 Alabama Crimson Tide must solve. Doing so is dependent on an efficient rushing attack.
Note: Alabama stats provided by cfbstats.com