While the final result has still left much to be desired, one of the bright spots has come in the form of true freshman right tackle Michael Carroll Jr., who emerged as the Crimson Tide’s starting right tackle late in the season and was named to On3’s True Freshman All-American Team earlier this month.

Alabama‘s run game has become an area of concern for the Crimson Tide. In the team’s 34-24 win over Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Alabama amassed just 28 total rushing yards.

DeBoer squeezed what he could out of this season and got Alabama a College Football Playoff win after it sputtered at times in the second half of the season. Despite the step forward, several areas left much to be desired heading into the 2026 season.

Disappointment is the lingering feeling for Alabama following the Rose Bowl loss, but the team took steps forward in Year 2 under DeBoer with an SEC title game appearance, CFP appearance and playoff win at Oklahoma. DeBoer has acknowledged the Alabama standard since his arrival in Tuscaloosa and knows that the standard involves championships.

Indiana's Pat Coogan is the first offensive lineman to win Player of the Game or MVP at the Rose Bowl since Norm Verry did for Southern California in 1944.

No longer eligible to be elevated from the practice squad, offensive tackle Amari Kight joined the Seattle Seahawks’ 53-man active roster on Tuesday, the NFL team announced. For the past two games, Kight has been elevated to active status to serve as a backup tackle with Josh Jones already in the lineup for injured starter Charles Cross.

Chris Kapilovic opens up on why the Crimson Tide has played so many players along the offensive line.