With a little over two weeks until the Alabama Crimson Tide kicks off their 2026 season against East Carolina, there are still some major questions hanging over key positions. Quarterback, left guard, and inside linebacker remain up for grabs, but fall camp has started to clarify who’s emerging for those crucial Week 1 starting spots. It’s wild that we are this close to game day and these battles are still raging!
Offense: QB Battle Nears Its End, But O-Line Still A Scramble
On the offensive side, it looks like **Keelon Russell** is the projected starter at quarterback, with **Austin Mack** backing him up. That’s a big one settled, or at least narrowing down, as Alabama is likely to name a starter soon. At running back, **Daniel Hill** is the guy, but a huge piece of news is **AK Dear**’s injury. He was a real standout in fall camp before getting hurt, and now **Kevin Riley** is likely to step into that RB2 spot for Week 1. Over at wide receiver, we have **Ryan Coleman-Williams**, **Cederian Morgan**, **Lotzeir Brooks**, **Rico Scott**, **Derek Meadows**, and **Tyler Henderson** all vying for snaps. Another injury affecting the depth chart is **Noah Rogers**, which puts **Derek Meadows** arguably at WR3.
The offensive line still has a huge question mark at left guard. **Mal Waldrep Jr.** and **William Sanders** are locked in a competition there. While either could start against East Carolina, Waldrep is the pick right now. The rest of the line seems a bit more settled with **Jackson Lloyd** at left tackle, **Racin Delgatty** at center, **Michael Carroll** at right guard, and **Jayvin James** at right tackle.
Defense: Linebackers Fighting It Out, Secondary Is Locked In
Flipping to the defense, the biggest ongoing competition is at inside linebacker. **Caleb Woodson** and **QB Reese** are the projected starters for Week 1, but don’t sleep on **Luke Metz** and true freshman **Xavier Griffin**. Both have been emerging throughout fall camp and will likely see action early in the season. That’s a battle to watch for sure!
The defensive line has also been a major talking point in fall camp. Guys like **Terrance Green** and **London Simmons** are holding down the defensive tackle spots, with **Devan Thompkins** at BANDIT looking like he could be set for a huge season. **Yhonzae Pierre** is the projected WOLF. Good news in the backfield, though: Alabama’s secondary is already set. Players like **Zabien Brown** and **Dijon Lee Jr.** at cornerback, and **Bray Hubbard** and **Keon Sabb** at safety, are locking things down. This unit should be among the best in college football this season, which is a great sign heading into the opener.
With East Carolina just around the corner, these final two weeks of fall camp are all about cementing those starting spots and building that Week 1 chemistry. It’s going to be interesting to see who earns those crucial roles when they officially hit the field!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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