Tuscaloosa is weird right now. If you walked into the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility today, you’d probably need a name tag just to recognize half the guys in the building. Following that 38-3 thumping by Indiana in the Rose Bowl—a game that honestly felt like a fever dream for most Bama fans—the AL football depth chart has basically been put through a woodchipper.
Kalen DeBoer isn’t just "retooling." He’s performing open-heart surgery on this roster.
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With the transfer portal window finally closed and the dust settling on the 2025 season's wreckage, we’re looking at a 2026 lineup that is unrecognizable. Ty Simpson is gone to the NFL. Isaiah Horton, the guy who saved the 2025 Iron Bowl, is cashing checks at Texas A&M. Even stalwarts like Parker Brailsford and Kadyn Proctor have moved on. If you’re trying to keep track of who’s actually taking snaps in the spring, you’ve got your work cut out for you.
The Post-Ty Simpson Era: Who Wins the Keys?
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Quarterback. For a year, everyone felt safe with Simpson. He was the veteran, the steady hand. Now? The AL football depth chart at QB is a high-stakes duel between two very different flavors of talent.
Austin Mack is the "system" guy. He followed DeBoer from Washington, knows the terminology like the back of his hand, and has been marinating in this scheme for three years now. He’s technically a redshirt junior, which feels ancient in today’s game. But then there’s Keelon Russell.
Russell is the "juice."
He’s a redshirt freshman with the kind of arm talent that makes scouts drool and a dual-threat capability that forces defensive coordinators to stay up late. Most people expect Mack to start the spring as QB1 because of his seniority, but honestly, by the time the Tide hits the field for the 2026 opener, it wouldn’t shock anyone if the young gun takes over. DeBoer has shown he’ll play the hot hand, and Russell’s ceiling is somewhere in the stratosphere.
The Offensive Line Overhaul is Borderline Insane
If you thought the QB situation was volatile, look at the big boys up front. Alabama lost basically everyone. Proctor, Brailsford, Roberts, Dewberry—all gone. It’s a total wipeout.
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Courtney Morgan, Bama's General Manager, has been living on the phone. To fix this, they didn't just recruit; they pillaged the portal.
- Ty Haywood and Kaden Strayhorn coming in from Michigan is a massive coup.
- Nick Brooks from Texas adds some serious SEC-style beef.
- Ethan Fields (Ole Miss) and Racin Delgatty (Cal Poly) are the veteran "glue" pieces meant to keep the young guys from getting Russell or Mack killed.
It’s going to be a mess of "OR" designations on the depth chart for months. You’ve got Michael Carroll and Jackson Lloyd as the only real returning names with experience, and they’ll be fighting off five or six transfers for those tackle spots.
Why the Defensive Front Still Keeps Me Up
Losing James Smith to Ohio State hurt. There’s no way around that. Seeing a five-star kid from Montgomery leave for Columbus is a bitter pill for the fan base. But Kane Wommack’s "Swarm" defense is nothing if not adaptable.
The addition of Terrance Green from Oregon and Desmond Umeozulu from South Carolina this week was huge. Umeozulu is 6-foot-6 and looks like he was built in a lab to play the "Wolf" or "Bandit" role. He’s got that twitchy pass-rush ability that Bama lacked at times last year.
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He’ll be joining Yhonzae Pierre, who is finally healthy and expected to be the breakout star of the 2026 defense. If Pierre can stay on the field, that edge-rushing duo might actually be better than what we saw in the Rose Bowl.
Skill Positions: The Ryan Williams Show (Season 3)
Ryan Williams is now a junior. Let that sink in. The "Hollywood" era is entering its prime.
While the AL football depth chart lost depth with Cole Adams and Jalen Hale hitting the portal, the top end is still terrifying. Noah Rogers coming in from NC State is a sneaky-good pickup. He’s a big-bodied receiver who can win those 50/50 balls that Isaiah Horton used to snag.
Between Williams, Rogers, and the explosive Lotzeir Brooks, the passing game won't be the problem. The real question is the backfield. Jam Miller and Dre Washington are gone. We’re looking at the Daniel Hill and Kevin Riley era, with the highly-touted AK Dear as the change-of-pace back.
It’s a younger room, but maybe a hungrier one? Miller was great, but the run game felt stagnant during the three losses last year. A fresh set of legs might be exactly what Nick Sheridan needs to open up the playbook.
Making Sense of the Chaos
Trying to project a final AL football depth chart in January is a fool’s errand, but we can see the blueprint. DeBoer is prioritizing length and speed over raw bulk.
He’s betting on:
- Transfer Experience: Bringing in five O-linemen because you can’t wait for freshmen to grow up.
- Defensive Versatility: Using guys like Umeozulu and Green who can play multiple spots.
- Elite Safety Play: Retaining Keon Sabb and Bray Hubbard was the biggest win of the offseason. They are the heartbeat of this team.
If you’re a Bama fan, the next few months are about watching the "Battle of the Trenches." Forget the flashy WR drills. If this makeshift offensive line doesn’t gel by August, it won't matter if Keelon Russell or Austin Mack is under center.
What you can do right now: Keep an eye on the "medical redshirt" status of Jah-Marien Latham. If he returns for a sixth year, it changes the entire dynamic of the defensive line. Also, mark your calendars for A-Day in April. That’s the first time we’ll see if this "Portal-First" strategy actually has teeth or if the Tide is still reeling from the Indiana loss.
The 2026 season is going to be a wild ride, and honestly, that’s just how SEC football is supposed to feel.