Continuing on a theme we introduced last year, we’re breaking down Alabama’s roster and going in-depth with our preview in advance of previews for the other 15 SEC teams.
In recent years, we’ve waited until fall camp began to take a look at the upcoming team, giving the coaches every possible second to finalize a pre-camp roster. This has led to content droughts, however, so we’ve chosen to break up the 2026 Alabama team preview into eight segments, following our traditional eight-category game previews.
Fans who are familiar with our preview articles know we rate each unit and place them in one of five categories: Excellent, Very Good, Average, Fair and Poor. Continuing on something we started in 2025, we do a little advance scouting at the player level as well; if there is something that stands out, good or bad, it is noted for the players.
Today, we take a look at the entire offensive line, all five positions. Given that Alabama rotates linemen between all three roles (center, guard, tackle) throughout the season, predicting an exact depth chart is not only difficult, but practically impossible, especially at this stage of the year. The offensive line is listed by platoons, five players at the time, but even this will be more of an educated guess at this point, based on how Alabama rotated its linemen in the spring.
No walk-ons are rated in these articles – outside of the Special Teams preview, which will be the final in this series – unless we believe the walk-on in question has a real chance of making the actual playing rotation, not just playing in blowout situations. Players are listed below in the way we believe they finished spring camp. For players who were not yet on the team in the spring, they are listed at the end of their respective categories.
OFFENSIVE LINE (Rating: Fr)
Starting group – RT Jayvin James, RG Michael Carroll, C Racin Delgatty, LG Will Sanders, LT Jackson Lloyd
1. Michael Carroll (So., 6-6, 318)
Strengths: Excellent foot quickness, positional flexibility, did well with a steep learning curve as a true freshman in 2025
Weaknesses: Needs to polish up moves against quick edge rushers, more technically sound than he is a dominator inside
Analysis: Carroll made a splash as a true freshman, partially unseating Wilkin Formby at right tackle and probably ending up one of the big reasons Formby decided to transfer elsewhere after the season. The first question to ask is where he will line up, guard or tackle. We believe Carroll, who originally came to campus as a guard, would do best if he stayed there. He wasn’t bad at the right tackle spot in 2025 but he didn’t exactly set the world on fire. He’s a good tackle; he could be a great guard. A lot of where he plays will be determined by how well Alabama attacked the transfer portal for tackle prospects last winter, and the jury is still out.
2. Jackson Lloyd (RFr., 6-7, 317)
Strengths: Quick feet, good anticipation, athletic body with room to add more bulk
Weaknesses: Not a widebody run blocker, very little experience coming into 2026
Analysis: Lloyd and Michael Carroll were the two plums of the offensive line recruiting haul a year ago, but Lloyd never really got an opportunity under heavy fire. He apparently made good use of his time on the bench, because offensive coordinator somewhat (in)famously declared him the starter early in the spring and indicated there was no competition for the job. Fans howled, but the results at A-Day suggest Grubb may have known what he was talking about. It’s almost sacrilegious to say that Alabama could actually improve at left tackle, as Kadyn Proctor went to Miami as a first-round NFL Draft pick in April, but we think Lloyd is a better fit for Kalen DeBoer’s system. Lloyd wasn’t perfect in the spring, but Proctor was far from perfect, too, and Lloyd has impressive upside.
3. Jayvin James (Jr., 6-5, 318)
Strengths: Big-build guy who appears to be larger than listed, average-to-plus raw skills, can slide inside if needed
Weaknesses: Not great in any one direction, needs to use body in a better way in run blocking
Analysis: Getting an offensive line transfer from Mississippi State probably wasn’t on anyone’s radar screen a year ago, but James – who spent two years at Akron before going to the Bulldogs – had a good year in Starkville and Alabama is hoping he can continue to develop. James’ pass-blocking skills are probably ahead of his run-blocking skills, and he’ll be making the swap from left tackle for the Bulldogs to right tackle in Tuscaloosa. Results in the spring were mixed, but scouts like James’ upside and he could swap with Michael Carroll at right guard if necessary. If James can do nothing more than stabilize a position that was under fire for the entirety of 2025, it will be a good pickup.
4. Racin Delgatty (Jr., 6-3, 301)
Strengths: Hard-nosed attitude, good technical skills, smart player with plenty of experience
Weaknesses: Coming from a small-school environment, bigger than the prior center but still a bit undersized
Analysis: Delgatty comes to Alabama from Cal Poly, which the DeBoer staff had previously dipped into to sign Josh Cuevas at Washington. Delgatty’s tape showed a player who was too good for the FCS level, but it’s a big jump nonetheless from a school the size of Cal Poly to one the size of Alabama. Delgatty’s spring work was solid, but he’s not an upgrade over Parker Brailsford, who he replaced. If he can equal Brailsford’s output, though, that’s all Alabama will need. Brailsford was highly effective over two years in pass protection, allowing no sacks, but he lacked the size necessary to move the pile in the running game. Delgatty is bigger than Brailsford, but not by enough that Alabama should expect its center to suddenly dominate as a run blocker. But there shouldn’t be a lot of drop-off, either.
5. Will Sanders (So., 6-3, 315)
Strengths: Versatile, blue-collar work ethic, more athletic than a lot of linemen
Weaknesses: Sometimes plays smaller than listed, was hurt for all of spring work
Analysis: Mal Waldrep started A-Day in Sanders’ place, but if Sanders can return from a back injury, he will probably take the left guard spot once fall camp starts. Sanders was far from the most heralded of former Nick Saban recruits, but his athleticism and attitude have found a home under DeBoer. He can play either guard slot and could also be an option at center. Back injuries often linger for offensive linemen, so Sanders will have to be managed carefully in the early days of fall camp.
Second unit – RT Nick Brooks, RG Chris Booker, C Kaden Strayhorn, LG Mal Waldrep, LT Tyrell Miller
6. Mal Waldrep (RFr., 6-5, 322)
Strengths: Positional flexibility that includes ability to play center, skilled at pulling, aggressive streak
Weaknesses: Doesn’t appear as large as listed, not much experience
Analysis: Waldrep was a surprise starter at A-Day given where he finished last year on the depth chart, which was third-team center. At A-Day, he impressed with good footwork, which showed up most often in his ability to execute pulling maneuvers and combo blocks. He’s listed at 6’5”, which is a bit of a surprise; his build made him appear almost the size of Racin Delgatty. With Will Sanders returning from injury at the start of fall camp, Waldrep will most likely go back to a flex role between center and guard, as Alabama’s third-team center at A-Day was a walk-on, J.D. Martin. Still, it says something that Waldrep, and not older or more well-known players like Casey Poe or Nick Brooks, were picked to start the game.
7. Nick Brooks (So., 6-7, 339)
Strengths: Huge frame, ability to leverage in run blocking despite his height, can play guard or tackle
Weaknesses: Lateral quickness needs work, guard makeup but plays tackle as primary position
Analysis: Brooks started three SEC games for Texas last year and most viewed spring as a head-to-head competition between him and Jayvin James to see who would get the bulk of the snaps at right tackle. Brooks has the ability to move inside if needed but the frame says “tackle” all day long. He appeared to be ahead of James a bit as a run blocker, but isn’t as fluid moving laterally in pass protection.
8. Kaden Strayhorn (RFr., 6-2, 319)
Strengths: Can play center or guard, adept at directing the line from center position
Weaknesses: More of a long-term developmental prospect, needs quicker stance exit, functional strength needs increasing
Analysis: Strayhorn was brought in to compete with Racin Delgatty at center and possibly challenge for a starting guard spot as well, but we thought he needs more seasoning after seeing his spring work. Strayhorn has the edge in bulk over Delgatty, but he allowed defensive linemen to get under his pads too often and looks to need just a bit more strength all around. At the moment, he’s the best option Alabama has in case Delgatty goes down, but his best work will come in the years ahead.
9. Tyrell Miller (Jr., 6-5, 322)
Strengths: Can play guard or tackle, surprising foot quickness, active hands that allow him to stay unlocked from edge defenders
Weaknesses: Needs a period of adjustment coming from the JUCO ranks, technique needs cleaning up
Analysis: A late addition to Alabama’s recruiting class, Miller was ranked the top offensive tackle available, albeit in what was considered a thin year for tackles. Miller didn’t play as much at A-Day as we thought he might, but when he finally got into the game, he routinely stoned edge rushers and showed quick footwork that suggests he could win up being the third tackle on this team. It’s basically going to come down to Miller against Nick Brooks for that job, as Jayvin James and Jackson Lloyd look pretty locked in. Miller was projected as a guard out of high school, though, so moving inside may not be outside of consideration.
10. Chris Booker (Fr., 6-4, 285)
Strengths: Quick and athletic, fast learner, skilled enough to also be a project at DT
Weaknesses: Needs to add weight, technique is there but the raw strength and leverage is not
Analysis: There’s a pretty big gap back from Michael Carroll to Chris Booker, who played most of A-Day as the second-team right guard. We actually believe there’s a clear line between Tyrell Miller and Booker, meaning if Alabama needs a fresh right guard, it’s far more likely to come after some position shuffling. Like Kaden Strayhorn, adding Booker was a move made with an eye toward the future, rather than a player the Tide is counting on in 2026.
Platoon 3/reserves – T Bryson Cooley, G Ethan Fields, T Ty Haywood, G Casey Poe, T Jared Doughty, G/T Bear Fretwell, C J.D. Martin
11. Bryson Cooley (Fr., 6-6, 325)
Strengths: Quick and violent hands, some of the best HS tape of any OL recruit, tough-guy center
Weaknesses: No experience, college OL technique is going to represent a major step up in difficulty
Analysis: There’s little doubt Cooley has the chance to be a significant part of future Crimson Tide plans. Whether than happens in 2026 is anyone’s guess, but we believe he’ll spend time learning the position at the college level and rounding off some of the raw edges. Cooley’s high school tape is one of those men-among-boys affairs and it’s no wonder Alabama made a full-on press to keep him away from LSU, Ole Miss and others.
12. Ethan Fields (Jr., 6-3, 319)
Strengths: Three years of experience at Ole Miss, received generally positive reviews in spring camp
Weaknesses: Never really challenged for a starting spot with the Rebels, A-Day reviews were mixed
Analysis: Fields was added purely for depth purposes inside, but at least early on in spring drills he appeared like he was going to make a move forward. By the end of A-Day, it was close as to whether he or Chris Booker was considered the top backup to Michael Carroll at right guard. Fields needs to take another step forward quickly in fall camp, and should probably focus on simply getting past Booker, which would likely put him in line for snaps on kick protection if nothing else.
13. Ty Haywood (RFr., 6-5, 312)
Strengths: Good frame with plenty of capacity for additional weight, good footwork, impressive HS resume
Weaknesses: Needs more strength, true freshman year at Michigan was a bust
Analysis: Here’s the cautionary tale about betting solely on five-star athletes. Haywood was thought at one time to be part of an OL “super-class” for Alabama, along with Jackson Lloyd and Michael Carroll. Instead, Haywood opted for Michigan, but transferred to Alabama after playing just three games as a true freshman in Ann Arbor and generally failing to make an impact. When he did finally get onto the same field as Carroll and Lloyd, he didn’t look to be in the same class. The raw skills are certainly there and the tape is good, but Haywood needs to put his nose to the grindstone and get to work. Potential goes only so far at this level.
14. Casey Poe (So., 6-4, 324)
Strengths: Can play all five line positions, third year in the system, briefly stood out early in spring camp
Weaknesses: Fell down the depth chart by spring’s end, quickness and flexibility appear to trail competitors
Analysis: Poe got some early kudos at the beginning of spring, but couldn’t sustain the momentum. The return of Will Sanders will likely force Poe down to third-team status and unless he’s able to turn the ship quickly, he runs into danger of simply being recruited past. Poe appears to have found a home at guard, although he also received some work at right tackle. Now’s the time to make a move.
15. J.D. Martin (So., 6-2, 266)
Strengths: Good technique at center, smart, plus quickness
Weaknesses: Far below FBS weight levels for an OL
Analysis: The main reason to talk about Martin is he found himself coming out of spring as the third-team center, mostly because the shuffling of the line to accommodate Will Sanders’ injury emptied the depth chart at the center position. Martin isn’t likely to play other than perhaps at the end of a blowout, but we’re going to focus on his A-Day body of work, which was actually quite good. He’s the smallest lineman on the Tide’s roster, inclusive of other walk-ons, but he is quick and obviously understands how to play the position.
16. Jared Doughty (Fr., 6-5, 300)
Strengths: Pure tackle prospect with good film, fit frame with ability to add more weight
Weaknesses: Didn’t enroll for spring work, will find getting reps to be difficult
Analysis: It’s probably too much to ask for Doughty to make a push for playing time given that he was still in high school during Alabama’s spring drills. The tape reveals a solid tackle prospect, probably more so at right tackle than left for now. He’ll need to clean up footwork and add a bit of bulk, but that’s common among young linemen.
17. Bear Fretwell (Fr., 6-7, 290)
Strengths: Can play guard or tackle, surprisingly athletic
Weaknesses: Didn’t enroll for spring work, will need to balance learning multiple positions with adding weight and focusing on the quickest path to playing time
Analysis: Fretwell was a red-chip prospect that didn’t excite many fans – until some of his senior year tape hit the airwaves and then things changed a bit. Fretwell can play either guard or tackle, but we think his future might actually be at left tackle in a couple of years. Like Jared Doughty, he missed spring drills, which will set him back a bit, but come back in a couple of seasons and see where he is on the depth chart.