In life, we're often defined by what we do when no one's watching — much like players on college rosters who spend their time preparing in obscurity so they'll be ready when the opportunity comes knocking at their door. Just as a student builds confidence by studying before a big exam, many non-starters work through late practices, weight-room reps, and mental reps without recognition, trusting that their preparation will eventually translate under the bright lights.
For a program with the outlook of Alabama football this fall, the margin between starter and reserve is often thinner than it appears. Championships aren't sustained by star power alone — they're earned by readiness.
The Crimson Tide's regular season and postseason push this fall may hinge less on the obvious headliners and more on the quiet development of players who have spent months preparing for a moment that hasn't arrived yet. Fortunately for Alabama fans, Kalen DeBoer has built his reputation on development over quick fixes — and his track record suggests patience pays off. That's why it's reasonable to believe that Tide could see breakout seasons from these five returning non-starters in 2026.
5 potential breakout candidates for Alabama football in 2026
1. DL Jeremiah Beaman
When he earned his first career start in Alabama's season opener against Florida State last fall, stepping up for injured veteran Tim Kennan III, it wasn't viewed as a gamble — it was viewed as the next step in his progression. For a redshirt freshman defensive tackle, that spoke volumes. Then came the setback.
A serious practice-related injury just a week later abruptly ended his campaign before it truly began. Instead of building momentum, Beaman was forced into the lonely grind of rehabilitation — arguably the most mentally taxing phase of development for any young player. No crowd, no gamedays on Saturday. Just film study, rehab sessions, and strength work.
But if there's a silver lining, it's this: linemen often make their biggest leap between year one and year two in a system.
Beaman now enters 2026 not as an untested prospect, but as someone who's tasted both opportunity and adversity. He's spent a full year in meetings, understanding SEC tempo and trench warfare, without the physical wear of a full season. For DeBoer and Wommack at defensive tackle, depth is not a luxury — it's survival.
And if Beaman can convert last year's frustrations into fuel, he has the size, power, and now motivation to become more than a rotational body. With this combination of circumstances, this is why I think Beaman perfectly fits the bill for a potential breakout candidate for Alabama in 2026.
2. WR Rico Scott
If you ask me and those around the Alabama football program, Scott feels like the classic player who's capable of making a leap into stardom in 2026. I say this because, in 2025, the speedy wideout flashed in limited reps — not necessarily in volume, but in traits. He's smooth in and out of breaks, accelerates quickly off the line, and has the kind of body control that fits well in DeBoer's spacing concepts. This was evident during his first two seasons in Tuscaloosa when the Pennsylvania native reeled in five passes for 60 yards and one touchdown as a true freshman in 2024, and then again in 2025 when he recorded an additional 11 receptions for 98 yards and two scores.
With this small sample size of production, the question last year wasn't his ability — it was trust and opportunity. Now, Scott has had two full offseasons in DeBoer's offensive system to understand the route tree, adjustments versus coverage, and should be more physically prepared to handle SEC press corners. As Alabama's offense looks to likely lean on precision timing and explosive perimeter plays, many believe Scott has the potential to carve out a major role as a third-down separator, a red-zone specialist, or even a vertical slot mismatch.
Receivers often make their biggest jump when the game slows down mentally, and with Alabama being lessened in experience on offense, if that happens for Scott, his breakout won't feel surprising for Crimson Tide fans — it'll feel overdue.
3. S Zay Mincey
With his length, range, and versatility, Mincey fits the mold of the modern defensive chess piece in his third season in Wommack's defense. In 2024 and 2025, the Florida native was more of a developmental depth option — absorbing technique, learning leverage, and understanding how to disguise coverages. This showed during Mincey's first two falls in Tuscaloosa, where he totaled 16 total tackles and two pass breaks as a true freshman through 13 games, then an additional 18 stops, along with 0.5 tackles for loss, one deflection, and two quarterback hurries last fall.
Now looking to take the next step as a viable contributor in year three, and having the combination of experience and hunger to do more, I believe Mincey has the physical tools and instincts to capitalize. He can do exactly that by giving Wommack and the Crimson Tide defense the flexibility to match up with bigger receivers, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 185 pounds, along with the recovery speed when technique isn't perfect. And if Mincey can put all these facets of his game together this fall, his breakout makes Alabama's defense that much more dangerous.
4. RB AK Dear
In my opinion, Dear might be the most explosive upside play on this list. I'll go out on a limb and say this because of the promise that the Mississippi native showed nothing but promise every time he touched the rock as a true freshman in Alabama's backfield in 2025. He made the most of his limited opportunities in limited touches when he waltzed for three touchdowns on 19 carries for 140 yards last fall.
Now entering his sophomore campaign with a better understanding of DeBoer's and Ryan Grubb's playbook, Dear should be able to react faster and not be a deer in headlights in 2026. Oftentimes, the biggest question for young running backs is always pass protection and ball security, but if the 6-foot-1, 212-pounder can harvest all these responsibilities, to pair with his quick one-cut acceleration, natural burst, and contact balance in tight spaces, then his skill set has the power to transform the Crimson Tide's backfield this fall.
And if Dear does so, then his breakout would be a welcoming prize to every Tide football fan in Tuscaloosa this fall.
5. QB Austin Mack or Keelon Russell
It's no secret, in all levels of football, quarterback development defines ceilings. In Alabama's case, whether it's Mack's experience advantage or Russell's high-upside arm talent, one of these two becoming a reliable, confident playmaker would fundamentally change the Crimson Tide's 2026 trajectory.
For Mack, now entering his fourth season in DeBoer's system, it's all about command, quick decisions, and operating in structure. The 6-foot-6, 235-pounder showed flashes of doing just that in 2025 through four games, when he connected on 24 of his 32 attempts for 228 yards and two touchdowns for a 75% completion rate.
The California native also displayed his mobility at his size, rushing for an additional score on nine rushes for 22 yards. The big shoe to drop now will be whether he can he expand on this promise across 12 regular-season games? If the answer is yes, then he'll give DeBoer, Grubb, and Alabama the breakout candidate under center they desperately need to lead their offensive attack this fall.
For Russell, being DeBoer's most prized recruit in his 25-month tenure as Alabama's head coach, it's all about his refinement. This also has to be married with the former 5-star's ability to harness talent with timing, and letting the offense work for him instead of forcing plays. Russell showed his wittiness and football IQ to do so during his small sample size of play in doing so as a redshirt freshman in 2025, with his limited snaps, completing 11 of his 15 passes for 143 yards and throwing two touchdowns.
This accumulated to a 197.4 passer rating, alongside showing his mobility to pick up 17 yards on three rushing attempts. This promise leaves Crimson Tide fans wanting more of the Texas phenom.
The question now is, can Russell take the next step and live up to the hype of being the highest-rated recruit in program history? If the answer presents itself to be yes sooner rather than later, then he gives DeBoer and Alabama a breakout star who can transcend the program to newer heights in 2026, and could possibly earn true Heisman Trophy consideration in the process.