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Kalen DeBoer took a huge step in his second season in charge. Alabama appeared in both the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff. A win even came from the latter, beating Oklahoma on the road in Norman. Even so, Crimson Tide fans are still wanting a little bit more moving forward.
To no surprise, the goal is to win a national championship. You likely will not catch many people predicting Alabama to do so, though. A lot would need to go their way with how the preseason outlook is currently viewed.
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So, the Worldwide Leader decided to name a few of them. ESPN named five “ifs” for Alabama, saying if they happen, the Crimson Tide will be a national championship contender. Let’s check every one out, beginning with the quarterback situation.
“If … Keelon Russell is really, really good”
To this point, there has been no official announcement on who will be Alabama’s starting quarterback. DeBoer is letting the battle between Keelon Russell and Austin Mack go into the fall. Russell is a former Five-Star Plus+ talent, while Mack has been with DeBoer since the coach’s days at Washington.
ESPN appears to be banking on Russell winning the job. They say, “If he’s ready to become a star, everything else might click. But anything less will bring trouble.” Russell certainly has the talent to become a star, just needing to get his opportunity.
“If … a running back is ready to break some tackles“
For all the offensive issues that plagued Alabama in 2025, running back may have topped the list. ESPN pointed out how once a player was contacted in the run game, the play was usually over. “The Tide didn’t have a back who averaged even 2.8 yards per carry after contact.”
Just one new face is entering the position room for the 2026 season — true freshman Ezavier Crowell. Whether or not he gets a good chunk of carries, we will have to wait and see. But ESPN believes getting off tackles will be key, no matter who has the ball.
“If … Ryan Coleman-Williams got rid of the yips”
A sophomore slump came for the star wide receiver. Coleman-Williams was on top of the world for his first-year performances. However, he became a major point of discussion in Tuscaloosa after having a drop rate of 13% (per ESPN).
Whoever winds up winning the quarterback battle will be relying on Coleman-Williams. “The QB of choice will desperately need him to look like the No. 1 receiver he was supposed to be,” ESPN said.
“If … Adrian Klemm is really, really good”
For the fourth and final “if” about the Alabama offense, ESPN turns its attention to the offensive line. Completely new faces are going to be in the room, and not just the players. DeBoer hired Adrian Klemm to be the new OL coach. Klemm was previously on USC‘s staff and has NFL experience.
Michael Carroll is the only returning starter. The other four will either be from last year’s depth or out of the NCAA transfer portal. “Klemm, the new offensive line coach, has his work cut out for him.”
“If … the portal delivered a defensive line”
Over to the defensive side, where optimism for the unit remains incredibly high. What’s known is the back-end, as Alabama’s secondary could be one of the best in college football. Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack has done a great job building there.
He did need to go into the transfer portal at defensive line, though. Plenty of bodies/production exited the program, meaning players such as Devan Thompkins and Terrance Green need to step up.
