Kalen DeBoer names major goal for Alabama’s offense in 2026
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Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer was the first of 4 SEC coaches to take the podium in Tampa on Wednesday.
DeBoer didn’t wait long before highlighting a point of emphasis as the Crimson Tide prepare for 2026 — running the ball. Alabama‘s rushing offense was a constant struggle in 2025, which contributed to its unceremonious exit from the College Football Playoff.
“We want to be able to run the football better,” DeBoer told reporters at SEC Media Days. “That’s something that we’ve addressed and stressed within our team.”
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Alabama battled injury and consistency issues in its running back room last season. The Tide’s offensive line also proved to be ineffective at times at creating push in the run the game.
That reality shows up in the numbers. Alabama averaged just 3.25 yards per rush, which ranked 15th out of 16 SEC teams last fall. The advanced stats are even more worrisome for the Tide — they ranked 132nd in rushing success rate and 110th nationally in EPA-per-rush, according to Game on Paper.
Looking ahead to 2026, Alabama doesn’t have any new veteran personnel at running back but will be hoping for internal development from players like Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley and AK Dear. Alabama also signed 2 potential starting offensive linemen in the transfer portal who could help out in the run game.
Here’s a breakdown of Alabama’s regular-season win total expectations on Kalshi:
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
