What We Want to Hear Out of Alabama's Friday Scrimmage

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Tomorrow afternoon, the Alabama Crimson Tide will scrimmage inside Bryant-Denny Stadium for the Tide's second spring scrimmage in preparation for A-Day next Saturday, April 11.

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We heard good things about the Crimson Tide in the first scrimmage, including both quarterbacks performing well, a monstrous day from junior receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, and Alabama's defensive line play continuing to develop with all the new faces on campus. With the Tide's second scrimmage of spring ball slated for tomorrow afternoon, here are four storylines I would like to see coming out of Friday afternoon's scrimmage.

Does the Roster Stay Healthy?

This time last year, Alabama had no healthy tight ends on the roster, resulting in head coach Kalen DeBoer having to use walk-ons and agile offensive linemen at tight end, stunting the development of that room. So far through spring, the Crimson Tide has remained relatively healthy, with only three players out for the spring: offensive guard William Sanders, tight end Danny Lewis Jr., and defensive lineman London Simmons. Defensive backs Bray Hubbard and Zabien Brown both have been limited, but it's provided good opportunities for younger players in the secondary to step up. Can Alabama remain healthy? We've seen injuries derail the Crimson Tide before, with Tim Keenan's absence hindering Alabama's defense in week one last season, and Alabama's run game struggling with the absence of and injuries to Jam Miller last season. Health will be important for the Crimson Tide's young offense as they build chemistry and jostle for starting positions on offense.

Offensive Line Consistency

During last Friday's scrimmage, Alabama's offensive line jumped out to a hot start, creating lanes in the rushing attack and keeping the Crimson Tide's quarterbacks "upright" (Alabama's QBs wear black, non-contact jerseys during scrimmages, so they aren't getting hit). As the scrimmage continued, the offensive line was a little more inconsistent with creating gaps for the Tide's running backs to hit. Can the offensive line remain consistent for a full scrimmage? Additionally, can Alabama's run game find a spark? Explosive runs were prevalent early on, but became rare as last week's scrimmage continued. For the 15th-ranked rushing attack in the SEC last season, consistency will be key to Alabama's success on the ground in 2026.

Who Steps Up in the Front Seven on Defense?

Alabama had a top-15 defense in college football over the last two seasons, and the veterans in the Crimson Tide's secondary should give Alabama a jump start early in the season. However, Alabama will be replacing three of its top defensive linemen and all three inside linebackers that played significant reps last season, resulting in six position battles this spring for the Crimson Tide. While it's expected that London Simmons will win one of those starting jobs, he is out for spring, resulting in other opportunities for young players and transfers for the Crimson Tide. Who is going to step up?

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer had good things to say about Oregon transfer defensive lineman Terrance Green and USC transfer lineman Devan Thompkins. He was also positive about South Carolina transfer edge Desmond Umeozulu. Which of them steps up for the Crimson Tide on the defensive front?

Consistency at Quarterback

Both Austin Mack and Keelon Russell performed well in the Tide's first scrimmage, with Mack throwing three touchdowns and Russell throwing two. Sources who watched Alabama's first scrimmage last week said that Russell was more explosive, hitting receivers in stride downfield, and Mack was more consistent for the Crimson Tide, marching the offense down the field and producing more scoring drives for the Crimson Tide. Russell reportedly also threw a pick-six. The quarterback competition is close, with Mack entering year four in Kalen DeBoer's system while Russell has showcased the explosiveness in the passing game. The battle is neck and neck right now, and the Tide still has plenty of time before it has to name a starter. Don't expect anyone to take a massive lead in the competition right now, but can Russell be more consistent and not turn the ball over?

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.