While there are plenty of question marks on the offensive side of the ball with a new QB, a rebuilt offensive line, and a running back room without a proven star, one thing feels certain about Alabama next season.
The Crimson Tide should field one of the best defenses in college football.
Alabama has been a Top 10 defense in back-to-back seasons under Kane Wommack's guidance, and entering his third season as the defensive coordinator, Wommack has his most complete and veteran unit to date.
Alabama is deep and talented at all three levels. With some key additions via the Transfer Portal on the defensive line and at linebacker, and a secondary oozing with so much talent it's going to be hard to get them all playing time, Wommack should have his best defense yet in Tuscaloosa.
Kane Wommack excited about Alabama's defense in 2026
Speaking at the Senior Bowl Charities Celebrity Golf Classic on Monday in Mobile, Wommack shared his thoughts on where things stand with the Tide's defense coming out of spring.
“It’s just nice when you go into year three, there’s a lot of continuity,” Wommack said, via AL.com. “We’ve got a lot of returning starters on our back end, a lot of young guys that are pushing some of those guys, as well, which is really great. And we’ve kind of gotten the defensive line in a position to where we’ve got more mass. There’s some older guys.
“The transfer portal’s been really good to us, so having some of those guys in, coupled with our back end, I think there’s a lot of continuity. There’s a lot of excitement within the group and confidence in each other. And so, it’s fun to kind of go through spring with that group of guys that know the expectations and kind of set the tone early and often.”
With no spring portal window this year, Wommack has known immediately who he's going to be working with. There was no fear of poaching following the conclusion of spring practice.
The biggest reason for optimism for next year is the improvement of the defensive line. Big Ten transfers Devan Thompkins (USC) and Terrance Green (Oregon) bring size and strength up front, while Mississippi State transfer Kedrick Bingley-Jones is a veteran presence capable of quality snaps. While Alabama had a good defense last year, it did tend to get pushed around up front by the more physical teams on its schedule.
With Thompkins, Green, and Bingley-Jones adding to promising returning talent like London Simmons, Jeremiah Beaman, Steve Bolo Mboumoua, and Edric Hill, among others, Alabama's defensive line could be much, much better in 2026. It's certainly deeper and more versatile.
Virginia Tech transfer Caleb Woodson had an excellent spring at linebacker, and there's optimism that another quality option will emerge among the youth in the room.
On the back end, there's arguably no better collection of talent in a secondary in the country than what resides in Tuscaloosa. Alabama returns five players with starting experience in Zabien Brown, Dijon Lee, Keon Sabb, Bray Hubbard, and Red Morgan. There's plenty of young talent waiting in the wings and itching to get on the field, too.
With a young offense that could take some time to hit its stride, having a defense capable of leading the charge in the early season could be pivotal for Alabama's ability to remain in the College Football Playoff hunt while that side of the ball comes together.
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