Jumbo Package: Fixing the Alabama run game in 2026

Happy Friday, everyone. The 7th-ranked Tide softball team hosts the annual Crimson Classic tournament this weekend. Alabama is heavily favored in all games, which will be streamed on SECN+ and ESPN+. Meanwhile, the 3rd-ranked Gym Tide travel to 2nd-ranked LSU for a huge meet at 8:30pm CT on SEC Network.

Women’s basketball lost by 25 last night, which wasn’t entirely unexpected at 5th-ranked Vandy. They did manage to keep it close for a half as Vandy took a 36-32 lead into the locker room, but it was all ‘Dores from there.

Yesterday was the first day of the NFL Combine, and a couple of Alabama defensive linemen ran the 40.

Tim Keenan was the first of the Crimson Tide’s combine contingent to run the 40. He was not one of the faster defensive linemen, clocking in at 5.33 in his lone attempt.

Keenan opted not to run a second 40-yard dash. His time ranked last among defensive tackles, though that’s hardly a position where raw speed makes or breaks a prospect in the minds of NFL coaches and front offices.

Keenan went with the first group of defensive linemen through the 40. After he went, LT Overton, who ran with the second group at that position, had a chance to do better.

Overton went a fair bit faster than Keenan. He went the 40 yards in 4.91 seconds his first attempt, then improved to a 4.87 on his second try.

This is something of a pointless exercise at their positions, though if Overton is compared to other EDGE rushers, his time is quite slow due to his size. Ohio State EDGE Arvell Reese clocked the fastest time in that group at 4.46, but he is a full 33 pounds lighter than Overton. Domani Jackson and Josh Cuevas will work out today.

ESPN’s Eli Lederman lists RB EJ Crowell on his list of freshmen who will feel the weight of expectations in 2026.

Crowell, ESPN’s No. 3 running back in the 2026 class, reclassified to enter college a year early. Nonetheless, the Crimson Tide are expected to call on the powerful runner from Jackson, Alabama, early to help fix what was one of the worst rushing attacks in college football last fall.

Crowell has long been viewed as a potential Day 1 contributor at the next level; “We’re thinking of him being a guy who can help us,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said of him in December. But Crowell’s potential role within the Crimson Tide’s 2026 running back room swelled in January when Texas swooped in to sign transfer rusher Hollywood Smothers away from Alabama, leaving Daniel Hill (96 career carries) as the program’s most experienced backfield option. In Crowell, the Crimson Tide have a proven every-down workhorse who rushed for more than 6,000 yards in just three varsity seasons and an intriguing young talent who will likely play a central role in determining whether Alabama can turn around a run game that ranked 125th nationally (104.1 YPG) a year ago.

Alabama could certainly use an explosive playmaker at the position. Of course, blocking will go much further to determine the success of the run game.

As the Crimson Tide prepares to respond after a season where it had one of the worst rushing offenses in program history, Alabama will have to replace four of five starters with either four returners, outside of Carroll, four freshmen, one junior college transfer or six transfers.

And while former Cal Poly center Racin Delgatty and former Mississippi State lineman Jayvin James bring significant experience, many of Alabama’s transfer additions don’t have much experience. Ty Haywood and Kaden Strayhorn redshirted their first seasons at Michigan. Across three seasons at Ole Miss, Ethan Fields has played less than 100 snaps. Nick Brooks played 221 snaps for Texas as a true freshman, but struggled, allowing 20 pressures and four sacks.

Last, Ross Dellenger notes that Nick Saban is planning to join a presidential roundtable to discuss the issues surrounding college athletics.

Amid the years-long congressional discourse over college sports legislation, the group — dubbed the Saving College Sports Roundtable — is expected to hold discussions over solutions to a once-amateur industry rapidly evolving into a more professionalized outfit.

The invitees include many of those within the industry itself, such as the four power conference commissioners (Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and ACC); American Conference commissioner Tim Pernetti; current athletic directors from Wake Forest, Iowa State and Indiana; former Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione; Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua and ex-Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick; former coaches Mack Brown, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer; Texas Tech board member Cody Campbell; Heisman winners Tim Tebow and Charlie Ward; university presidents/chancellors Doug Girod (Kansas), Jeff Gold (Nebraska) and Donde Plowman (Tennessee); and former Clemson and West Virginia president Jim Clements.

More talking should definitely fix things. Am I right?

That’s about it for today. Have a great weekend.

Roll Tide.