5 Biggest Questions Facing Alabama Football Ahead of Fall Camp

Last season, Alabama’s run defense gave up too many yards on the ground — almost 138 yards per game, allowing over 150 yards five times. That’s not the standard we expect from Alabama. Their defense used to control games by dominating the line of scrimmage and making life tough for opposing running backs.

Now, leaders like Deontae Lawson and Tim Keenan have to bring that physicality back.

Who Will Lead at Quarterback?

Ty Simpson seems to be the early favorite for the starting job. But don’t count out Austin Mack or five-star freshman Keelon Russell. Alabama needs steady, confident play from this position to succeed in DeBoer’s offense.

The guy who can do all that consistently will give Alabama the best chance to win tough SEC games.

Will Isaiah Horton Step Up?

Horton caught 56 passes for over 600 yards last season and transfers in from Miami. Now a senior, he has a big chance to become the go-to receiver next to Ryan Williams. He’s big and skilled, but he’ll need to beat tight coverage and make big plays consistently.

When Horton is playing well, it opens things up for the whole offense.

Can the Offensive Line Get Better?

Alabama’s offensive line showed flashes of dominance last year but struggled with consistency in key moments, especially in controlling the line of scrimmage against power fronts. Kaydyn Proctor remains the anchor at tackle, bringing physicality and technique, but the Tide need the entire unit to improve both their run-blocking schemes and pass protection fundamentals.

Sharper pass protection in particular will give the quarterback the necessary pocket time to navigate complex SEC defenses and execute DeBoer’s timing-based passing attack.

Is the Secondary Ready?

The defensive backs, like Domani Jackson and Keon Sabb, have a tough job ahead.
The SEC has endless top receivers and smart quarterbacks, so Alabama’s secondary must communicate well and avoid big mistakes.

They’ll face early tests against teams like Georgia and Wisconsin, so how well they gel in camp could make a big difference.