ESPN analyst identifies ‘x-factor’ for Alabama football in 2026
Published:
On Friday, ESPN published a story that identifies one “x-factor” for every team in its preseason top 25.
Alabama made the cut at No. 16 in ESPN’s rankings. While the Crimson Tide will want to significant improve on that mark over the course of the 2026 campaign, ESPN is singling out new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm as a key figure in those efforts.
Klemm was hired this offseason to help fix Alabama’s offensive line, which struggled particularly in the run game last season. Klemm was most recently a senior assistant at USC but has served as O-Line coach in the NFL and at the collegiate level. Most recently, he was in that role for the New England Patriots in 2023 and at Oregon in 2022.
Here’s analysis from ESPN’s Andrea Adelson on Klemm’s potential impact:
The Alabama offensive line has not played up to par over the past several seasons, so coach Kalen DeBoer did something about it, replacing Chris Kapilovic with Klemm. Over the course of his career, Klemm has worked both in the NFL and college ranks. His task may be a simple one — improving the line — but the challenge is enormous. Alabama lost six of its top seven offensive linemen and brought in 11 new players. Of the six transfer linemen signed, only two started on the FBS level. Alabama was one of the worst teams in the SEC at running the ball. Blocking well, opening holes and improving this area has to be the top priority.
Last season, Alabama averaged just 3.35 yards per carry, which ranked 15th out of 16 SEC schools. The Crimson Tide’s running back room remains largely unchanged — save for the addition of true freshman EJ Crowell — so any significant improvements would likely be attributed to Alabama’s offensive line.
Alabama will open the 2026 season against East Carolina on Sept. 5.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
