Alabama's TE room has garnered a lot of praise throughout fall camp. It has been one of the strongest position groups on the team in the preseason, and it's a big reason there's legitimate optimism in the Crimson Tide fielding a much-improved rushing attack in 2026.
But along with being quality blockers, Alabama has a couple of tight ends that can be real mismatches in the passing game. Sophomores Kaleb Edwards and Marshall Pritchett bring the best of both worlds, with Josh Ford and Danny Lewis Jr. being the more traditional in-line blocking types.
It was Pritchett who garnered extensive praise from offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb on Tuesday.
When asked which specific tight ends have stood out in camp, Grubb didn't hesitate.
“It starts with Marshall Pritchett,” Grubb said. "He’s stepped up as a blocker. He’s become a more complete player in that regard, where I think he was viewed as a guy going into spring and summer, like, line of scrimmage, is this guy gonna be able to get it done? And so, he took that part really seriously.
"I think he got a lot better at it, but the playmaker part in Marshall is he’s a weapon out there. He can truly block and then expand the outside, getting a mismatch on a safety and really play ball. So, I think from his standpoint, he’s doing a great job.”
Ryan Grubb calls Alabama TE Marshall Pritchett a 'mismatch' in the passing game
Pritchett could be in line for a bigger role in the Alabama offense than many originally thought. It looked like Pritchett was in line to be the primary backup to Edwards, with Ford the likely No. 2 TE and the primary blocker. But it's felt likely with the emergence of so many quality players in the room that Grubb and Kalen DeBoer could look to copy a growing trend in the NFL.
With Pritchett growing as a blocker to go along with his significant upside as a receiver, it makes it all the more likely that Alabama plays more 12- and 13-personnel sets during the season, meaning two and three tight ends on the field at once.
That's certainly a way to improve the run game. Get more big bodies on the field that can help open up holes for the backs. When you have guys like Pritchett and Edwards who can then release and be mismatches regardless of who the defense puts on them, it makes those decisions a whole lot easier.
Pritchett saw some playing time as a freshman for Alabama due to the injuries the Crimson Tide had in the room, but as Grubb said, there wasn't a lot of confidence in his ability as a blocker as a freshman. He didn't do a ton of that as a high schooler. He came to Tuscaloosa listed at 211 pounds as a high school senior. He's up to 246 now, and much more equipped to hold his own at the line of scrimmage.
Heading into his second season on campus, the former 4-star recruit appears ready to make a real difference for the Crimson Tide.
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