Spring football practice is upon us, and the close of the 2025-2026 recruiting cycle brings about our annual first look at the team Alabama will take into spring practice. While the transfer portal is closed to new entrants (assuming no further coaching changes that would open a temporary window), Alabama could continue to sign players from the portal if it so chooses.
The following analysis takes the players still on the team at the end of the 2025 season and combines them with new arrivals. Walk-ons from the 2025 roster are listed, as are certain walk-ons who have publicly committed to joining the roster for 2026. We fully expect many of these names to disappear from the roster as the season goes through its different stages. The current roster stands at 122 players.
QUARTERBACKS
Starter(s): Austin Mack (Jr.)
Likely backup(s): Keelon Russell (RFr.)
Depth: Jett Thomalla (Fr.), Tayden-Evan Kaawa (Fr.), John Gazzaniga (RFr., WO), John Cooper (Jr., WO)
Analysis: We had to pick one of the top two guys as projected starter at least heading into spring, and given that Austin Mack got all of the snaps in relief of an injured Ty Simpson against Indiana, he’s the logical choice for now. Mack has the stronger arm of the two while Russell has a quicker release. Both looked capable in limited work in 2025, but both also looked inexperienced. It’s going to be a wide-open competition and probably limited to those two players. Incoming true freshmen Jett Thomalla and Tayden-Evan Kaawa will stage their own battle to see who will be the heir apparent to the 2026 starter. It’s not likely that Alabama will have both Mack and Russell together on the roster again heading into 2027. As for the other names, John Gazzaniga got into the Eastern Illinois game and is an imposing physical presence at 6’7”, 235, but he lacks the arm strength of the starters. John Cooper was listed on the roster for the entirety of the year but didn’t dress out. Gazzaniga probably could play some at a smaller FBS school and may take the opportunity to try that the next time the portal opens.
RUNNING BACKS
Starter(s): Daniel Hill (Jr.)
Likely backup(s): Kevin Riley (So.), Akylin Dear (RFr.), Ezavier Crowell (Fr.)
Depth: Traeshawn Brown (Fr.), Khalifa Keith (Jr.), Jessie Washington (Sr., WO), Fredrick Moore (So., WO)
Analysis: It’s rare that a quarterback battle gets overshadowed by a different position group, but it could happen this spring twice over. Both running back and offensive line are going to be under the microscope, as Alabama changed offensive line coaches and could be looking more toward a physical running game. However, Alabama’s initial handful of targets in the transfer portal were all of the scatback variety, with Bama seemingly targeting an upgrade for sophomore Kevin Riley. As it stands, top 2025 backup Daniel Hill is set to be the starter, but he’s got to do more than just be a big presence in the backfield. He needs to show more cutting ability as well as the ability to avoid early tackles. Riley and a pair of younger players, Akylin Dear and true freshman Ezavier Crowell, will all have a chance to unseat Hill. The best chance may belong to Crowell, who was a high school sensation in 2025. The next layer includes true freshman scatback Traeshawn Brown and the well-traveled Khalifa Keith, who comes via the transfer portal and is a bigger back. Jessie Washington got into multiple games last year on special teams but never carried the ball, while Fredrick Moore didn’t play. We wouldn’t be surprised to see any of the top four names emerge as Alabama’s go-to back by the opener.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Starter(s): Ryan Coleman-Williams (Jr.), Noah Rogers (Jr.), Lotzeir Brooks (So.)
Likely backup(s): Derek Meadows (So.), Cederian Morgan (Fr.), Rico Scott (So.)
Depth: Maurice Mathis Jr. (Fr.), M.J. Chirgwin (Sr.), Amari Sabb (Fr.), Aubrey Walker (Fr.), Ben Jackson (RFr., WO), Cooper Mollison (Jr., WO), Preston Landry (Sr., WO), Warner Ross (Sr., WO), Baylor Kelley (So., WO)
Analysis: Noah Rogers will get the snaps that otherwise would have gone to Isaiah Horton, who transferred out after just one year in Tuscaloosa. Filling the shoes left by the departure of Germie Bernard to the NFL will be a huge task, and as long as Ryan Coleman-Williams (yes, he added a new name and a jersey number change over the offseason) continues to have problems catching the ball, that role will probably have to be filled by someone else. Enter Rogers, who has stops at Ohio State and NC State on his resume already. He’s not quite as tall as Horton was, but he is probably more consistent, which was Horton’s chief bugaboo. Lotzeir Brooks is now probably locked into a starting job, but the thing to watch most closely this spring will be the development of a second group behind the starters and whether any of them can challenge Brooks for a starting spot. Derek Meadows is a big receiver who was getting more and more playing time as the 2025 season went along until he was concussed at Missouri and never really contributed afterward. True freshman Cederian Morgan has high expectations and is also a bigger receiver who can pressure defenses vertically. Rico Scott is physical and was a staple of Alabama’s outside run-blocking unit last year, but he needs to develop his receiving skills further so it’s not an immediate run tell when he’s on the field. There’s a pretty clear line after these six to anyone else. M.J. Chirgwin, a walk-on who caught two passes in 2025, is probably the safest bet, along with true freshmen Maurice Mathis Jr., Aubrey Walker and Amari Sabb. Sabb and Walker will join the team later, so spring will be a time for Chirgwin and Mathis to state their case. Other walk-ons of note include the quick-but-thin Ben Jackson and a new face, senior Preston Landry, who becomes the unit’s second-tallest player immediately, behind only Meadows.
TIGHT ENDS
Starter(s): Danny Lewis Jr. (Sr), Jack Ford (Jr.)
Likely backup(s): Kaleb Edwards (So.), Marshall Pritchett (So.), Jay Lindsey (So.), Mack Sutter (Fr.)
Depth: Jack Sammarco (So.), Peyton Fox (Sr., WO), Jaxon Shuttlesworth (So., WO), Jude Cascone (Fr., WO)
Analysis: If Danny Lewis Jr. can finally play an entire season without getting hurt, Alabama could be pretty special here. Oklahoma State transfer Jack Ford will push Lewis and Kaleb Edwards for one of the two starting tight end spots. The three are all large, athletic tight ends with long wingspans. Alabama’s running game actually looked functional at times in 2025 when Lewis was available to help Josh Cuevas block. Ford should be an upgrade to Cuevas as a blocker but won’t be the kind of receiver Cuevas was. Edwards and fellow sophomore Marshall Pritchett are the two guys to really watch this spring, as coaches are sky-high on both as future dual-threat contributors as both blockers and receivers. Jay Lindsey filled in at both positions in 2025 but needs to get more dynamic if he intents to unseat any of the others. True freshman Mack Sutter has drawn significant praise since coming to campus, so Lindsey will be looking back as much as he will be looking forward. Of the rest, former West Virginia transfer Jack Sammarco has good blocking skills but needs to work on his hands. A trio of walk-ons could each see playing time, especially senior Peyton Fox.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Starter(s): Michael Carroll (So.), Nick Brooks (So.), Racin Delgatty (Jr.), Will Sanders (So.), Jayvin James (Jr.)
Likely backup(s): Ty Haywood (RFr.), Tyrell Miller (Jr.), Kaden Strayhorn (RFr.), Ethan Fields (Jr.), Jackson Lloyd (RFr.)
Depth: Bryson Cooley (Fr.), Casey Poe (So.), Mal Waldrep (RFr.), Chris Booker (Fr.), Bear Fretwell (Fr.), Jared Doughty (Fr.), Baker Hickman (Jr., WO), Mac Smith (Jr., WO), Billy Roby (Jr., WO), Davis Peterson (Jr., WO), J.D. Martin (So., WO)
Analysis: This will be almost an entirely new look for Alabama’s offensive line, with no full-time starters returning from a year ago. Michael Carroll, a sophomore, is the closest thing Alabama has to a veteran from past teams, and last year was his first year in college. Will Sanders may miss the spring with an injury, so there’s a chance for juniors Tyrell Miller and Ethan Fields, along with redshirt freshman reserve center Kaden Strayhorn, to make a play for that spot. Racin Delgatty probably has the early inside track at center. There will be plenty of competition at tackle, where Mississippi State’s Jayvin James appears to have the inside track at left tackle, although either Jackson Lloyd or Ty Haywood could push. At the third level, true freshman Bryson Cooley has some of the best tape you’ll see for a young tackle, while Casey Poe will try to take a step forward after spending his first two years in Tuscaloosa buried on the bench. Mal Waldrep showed some promise as a center prospect last year, while Chris Booker and a couple of late enrollers, Bear Fretwell and Jared Doughty, are all talented true freshmen. There may be one spot in the spring for one of the walk-ons until Sanders heals and Fretwell gets to campus, and Baker Hickman is probably ahead of the pack there, but once fall camp arrives that will probably change. This group is young, and new to each other, but we expect improvement, especially under new OL coach Adrian Klemm.
DEFENSIVE TACKLES
Starter(s): Terrance Green (Jr.), London Simmons (So.)
Likely backup(s): Jeremiah Beaman (So.), Kedrick Bingley-Jones (Sr.), Edric Hill (Jr.), Isaia Faga (So.)
Depth: Leslie Black (Jr.), Steve Mboumoua (So.), Mhari Johnson (Fr.), Nolan Wilson (Fr.), Malique Franklin (Fr.)
Analysis: London Simmons will miss the spring with an injury, which will allow Alabama to see what it has exactly in transfers Terrance Green (Oregon) and Kedrick Bingley-Jones (Mississippi St.), as well as letting Jeremiah Beaman get back into the swing of things after a leg injury ended his 2025 season in the early going. The addition of Green and Bingley-Jones gives Bama two massive bodies inside, and Beaman’s return adds a third. It’s clear Alabama wanted to get bulkier on both lines of scrimmage after the smaller/quicker model Kalen DeBoer brought with him from Washington often found itself overpowered. Still, Edric Hill and Isaia Faga were situationally effective in 2025 as smaller, quicker tackles. The most interesting player to watch, in our opinion, is certainly Steve Mboumoua, who brings plenty of promise but very raw technique. He was born in Canada and grew up in Cameroon playing soccer, but watch a few snaps and the potential is there. Nolan Wilson and Malique Franklin aren’t yet with the team. Getting modest improvement over 2025, which wasn’t a bad year for this unit anyway, should be an achievable goal.
DEFENSIVE ENDS/OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
Starter(s): Yhonzae Pierre (Jr.), Devan Thompkins (Jr.)
Likely backup(s): Jah-Marian Latham (Sr.), Desmond Umeozulu (Sr.), Justin Hill (So.), Fatutoa Henry (Sr.)
Depth: Caleb Smith (RFr.), Zay Hall (Fr.), Jamarion Matthews (Fr.), Corey Howard (Fr.), Lane Whisenhunt (Jr., WO)
Analysis: The first thing that jumps out at you here is what’s going to happen in 2027, because both Yhonze Pierre and Devan Thompkins have high-round NFL Draft potential and three of the top four reserves are seniors. Pierre will start at Wolf and USC transfer Thompkins at Bandit, while South Carolina transfer Desmond Umeozulu and Jah-Marien Latham, who was once a nosetackle prospect on a Nick Saban team, can play either spot. Justin Hill had a strong freshman debut at Wolf, learning the position quickly. Fatutoa Henry, a former JUCO transfer, has plenty of potential on tape, but time flies and it’s now or never for him. The real names to watch out of the third level are the true freshmen – Zay Hall, Jamarion Matthews and Corey Howard. There ought to be enough snaps for at least one of them this fall. The key to all of it is either Pierre or Thompkins, as an injury to either would be fairly devastating.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS
Starter(s): Caleb Woodson (Sr.), Q.B. Reese (So.)
Likely backup(s): Cayden Jones (Jr.), Abduall Sanders Jr. (RFr.), Darrell Johnson (RFr.), Luke Metz (So.)
Depth: Xavier Griffin (Fr.), Grant Johnson (Jr., WO), Jake Ivie (Jr., WO)
Analysis: Sometimes you have to count on young guys getting better rather than chasing talent in the transfer portal. Alabama largely chose to do that in 2026, getting Virginia Tech transfer Caleb Woodson for one of its vacant slots, but with the intention of turning the other position into an open battle, mostly between sophomore Q.B. Reese and junior Cayden Jones. Woodson is somewhat a mixture of Justin Jefferson and Deontae Lawson, the two departed starters from a year ago. He’s a good fit for this system and should be Bama’s primary inside linebacker. Reese and Jones are cut from very different pieces of cloth; Reese is quick and compact, and also plays at a million miles per hour. Jones is a more typical “athlete-plus” inside linebacker type, not the traditional brick-square MLB but also not a prowler like Reese. Luke Metz is almost a carbon copy of Jones, while Abduall Sanders and especially Darrell Johnson are slimmer, quicker linebackers in the vein of the departed Jefferson. True freshman Xavier Griffin was perhaps the star of the entire recruiting class, but multiple coaches are fighting for him and he may end up as an outside linebacker in the end. Arizona State transfer Grant Johnson is a walk-on with decent ability. There may be some mistakes made early, but we like the potential of this group.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Starter(s): Dijon Lee Jr. (So.), Zabien Brown (Jr.), Bray Hubbard (Sr.), Keon Sabb (Sr.), Rydarrius Morgan (Jr.)
Likely backup(s): Chuck McDonald (RFr.), Nick Sherman (Jr.), Zavier Mincey (Jr.), Carmelo O’Neal (Jr.), Ivan Taylor (So.), Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. (Jr.)
Depth: Jordan Edmonds (Fr.), Zyan Gibson (Fr.), Rihyael Kelley (Fr.), Jireh Edwards (Fr.), George French II (Fr.), Walter Sansing (Jr., WO), London Hill (RFr., WO), Conner Warhurst (Jr., WO), Brody McCutcheon (RFr., WO), Griffin Hanson (So., WO)
Analysis: Probably the best secondary in the SEC and perhaps the best in the country. It’s down to picking nits to talk about where improvement can be made, with getting a little more consistency from safeties Keon Sabb and Rydarrius Morgan is about all there is to discuss. No team has better cornerbacks than Dijon Lee Jr. and Zabien Brown, and it’s not particularly close. Bray Hubbard is a veteran safety presence who has a knack for flipping games with big plays. When your third cornerback is Chuck McDonald, you know you’ve been recruiting well. The reserve safety group includes Zavier Mincey, Mercer transfer Carmelo O’Neal, Ivan Taylor and Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. Any of the four could start at most places; Mincey has the most potential but is probably behind the other three a bit in terms of getting that potential to translate to performance. Alabama actually suffered somewhat of a loss to depth here when walk-on Kolby Peavy, who had gotten himself into the depth discussion and was becoming a regular on special teams, transferred late to Southern Miss. Bama brought in five true freshmen – corners Jordan Edmonds, Zyan Gibson and George French II, and safeties Rihyael Kelley and Jireh Edwards. All but French will be on campus for spring ball. Of the walk-ons, Walter Sansing spent a chunk of the 2025 season as one of the third-team cornerbacks. This unit is the strength of the team, hands down.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Starter(s): PK Lorcan Quinn (So.), P Adam Watford (Sr.), LS Ethan Stangle (Sr.)
Likely backup(s): PK Conor Talty (Jr.), P Alex Asparuhov (RFr.), LS Alex Rozier (Sr., WO)
Depth: PK Tucker Cornelius (So., WO), P Anderson Green (So., WO), LS Jay Williams (So., WO)
Analysis: Alabama curiously added a placekicker from the transfer portal, Marshall’s Lorcan Quinn, and typically teams don’t bring in guys from the top of the portal just to sit. Therefore, Conor Talty, who had an up-and-down year as Alabama’s kicker, but who ultimately finished the year on a high note and was a consistent kickoff man throughout, may be out of a job. We expect Talty to hang onto kickoff duties, but it looks to us like Quinn will be the man to beat for placement kicks. Taking punter Adam Watford was less of a surprise, as Alex Asparuhov is still technically recovering from a major leg injury suffered prior to joining the team last fall. Syracuse transfer Ethan Stangle will probably take over long-snapping duties, but Alex Rozier, who opted to come back for one more season, is a legitimate competitor there. None of the third-level walk-ons are likely to see time at their positions, at least not in 2026.
Follow Jess Nicholas on X at @TideFansJessN