5 Alabama position battles to monitor during 2026 spring practice
· Yahoo Sports
Spring practice has officially arrived for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
This week, Alabama will take the field for the first time since their Rose Bowl loss to Indiana, doing so in Tuscaloosa for the program's first official spring practice.
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With the arrival of spring is also the start of year three for head coach Kalen DeBoer in Tuscaloosa, a season that will bring about a number of question marks surrounding some key positions on the roster. A big reason for this is roster turnover from the last couple of months, which included numerous prominent departures to both the transfer portal and NFL draft.
Following are five of the biggest position battles to follow for the Crimson Tide throughout spring practice, as well as some names to know at each spot.
1. Quarterback
The most evident position battle for Alabama this offseason comes at quarterback, where returning backups Austin Mack and Keelon Russell are set to compete for the starting job vacated by Ty Simpson. While true freshmen Jett Thomalla and Tayden Kaawa are also competing for the starting spot, both of Mack and Russell are considered as the two favorites to win the job this offseason, a competition that will likely last into fall camp.
2. Inside Linebacker
On defense, inside linebacker is the most evident position battle to watch for this offseason, as not only is Alabama replacing both starters in Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson, but also top backup Nikhai Hill-Green. It feels likely that Virginia Tech transfer Caleb Woodson is a prime candidate to grab one starting spot, meaning that second is a storyline to monitor going forward between names such as Cayden Jones, QB Reese, Luke Metz, and others.
3. Left Tackle
Next season, Alabama will have someone start at left tackle not named Kadyn Proctor for the first time since 2022. A position battle expected to carry over into fall camp, Alabama has multiple young options such as Jackson Lloyd and Ty Haywood who are candidates to emerge, while experienced Mississippi State transfer Jayvin James is also among the names to know.
4. Center
Another key position along Alabama's offensive line that will have a new starter in 2026 is at center, where Parker Brailsford heads to the NFL after starting each of the last two seasons. Among those in the mix for the starting job entering spring are a pair of transfers in Racin Delgatty and Kaden Strayhorn, as well as the returning Mal Waldrep Jr..
5. Kicker
While the Crimson Tide do return starting kicker Conor Talty, it does not mean that the position will not see some competition this offseason, starting in the spring. Likely the biggest name to know entering the spring aside from Talty is Lorcan Quinn, a Marshall transfer who led the Sun Belt with 21 made field goals a year ago.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama football position battles to watch during 2026 spring practice