⚡ CFB Dashboard

- The three Bama247 projections place Alabama between 9-3 and 10-2, with the panel unanimously expecting wins over East Carolina, Kentucky, Florida State, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Chattanooga and Auburn. - The panel expects Alabama to beat East Carolina, but one projection cautions against assuming an immediate blowout while the others expect first-time starting quarterback Keelon Russell to generate early momentum. - Russell's first road start at Kentucky is viewed as a potential execution test because Alabama will face new play-callers without much usable opponent film. - South Carolina is the panel's first split decision, with its defense and Dylan Stewart's pass rush identified as the primary upset threat in Tuscaloosa. - Alabama's Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M stretch is the largest regular-season pressure point, with mobile quarterbacks and the Crimson Tide's offensive inexperience driving disagreement across the three projections.

- Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell accounted for 342 total yards in his starting debut, throwing for 256 yards and rushing for 86 yards and a touchdown. - Alabama produced 487 total yards and scored on all six first-half possessions in the 48-10 win over East Carolina. - Alabama's defense held East Carolina to 162 total yards and just two rushing yards, the Tide's fewest rushing yards allowed since 2021. - Yhonzae Pierre returned an interception 27 yards for an Alabama touchdown while also adding a tackle for loss and a sack.

- Injury: Former Alabama reserve QB Dylan Lonergan was Rutgers' starting QB tonight.

- Injury: Noah Rogers, who’s working his way back from injury, catching a pass today in practice.

- Rogers remains out for a longer stretch, while Brooks is considered likely to be available for the opener and the broader injury outlook is trending ahead of schedule. - Alabama plans to let Russell grow into the starting quarterback role without placing too much on his shoulders in his debut. - The opener favors Alabama's experience because East Carolina lost 10 offensive starters while the Crimson Tide return a large group of starters.

- Injury: Our "Random Thoughts" feature is back and so is College Football… Kinda.

- QB: History was made on the field as Friday night as Alabama commit, Thompson QB Trent Seaborn shattered the AHSAA career passing yardage record!

- QB: BREAKING: Alabama quarterback commit @TrentSeaborn becomes state’s all-time leading career passer.

- QB/LB: A late-bloomer at LB just picked up his first offer and is drawing SEC interest An Alabama QB commit keeps dealing A pair of under-the-radar 6-foot-3 WRs had monster games More on the Stars...

- QB: Former Vol QB drafted nine years ago and he’s still cashing checks and making preseason memories.

- Pick/market: North Alabama quarterback Destin Wade finds Xavier Johnson for a long 95-yard touchdown with 8:44 left in the first half for the first points of the game.

- Pick/market: North Alabama goes up 9-0 on Samford with a safety.

- Alabama's Week 1 depth chart lists Keelon Russell ahead of Austin Mack and Jett Thomalla at quarterback for the East Carolina opener. - Alabama listed Daniel Hill, Trae'shawn Brown, Kevin Riley, and EJ Crowell with OR designations at running back, signaling an unsettled or committee backfield entering Week 1. - Alabama's offensive line depth chart includes Jackson Lloyd at left tackle, Racin Delgatty at center, Jayvin James at right tackle, and OR battles at left guard. - Alabama's defensive front includes OR designations at Bandit and defensive tackle, while Luke Metz is listed at Mike and Caleb Woodson at Stinger. - Alabama's specialist chart keeps competition open at kicker and multiple return spots, including Lorcan Quinn or Conor Talty at PK/KO.

- Alabama's Week 1 depth chart includes 24 newcomers, 15 of them transfers, with nine transfers listed as starters or co-starters. - The chart contains 19 OR designations, including four co-starting running backs and three co-starting Y tight ends, signaling broad early rotations rather than settled usage. - Noah Rogers, AK Dear, Jeremiah Beaman, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. and Dijon Lee are absent from the opening depth chart because of injuries or availability issues. - Conor Talty retained field-goal and extra-point duties, while Lorcan Quinn is assigned kickoffs.

- Noah Rogers, AK Dear, Jeremiah Beaman, Jorden Edmonds and Jireh Edwards were not projected to play against East Carolina, while running back EJ Crowell remained uncertain. - Keelon Russell and Austin Mack project as Alabama's top two quarterbacks, with Daniel Hill and Kevin Riley leading the available running-back rotation. - Alabama's projected offensive line is Jackson Lloyd, William Sanders, Racin Delgatty, Michael Carroll and Jayvin James from left tackle to right tackle. - Devan Thompkins projects to start at bandit end, Yhonzae Pierre at wolf linebacker, and Kedrick Bingley-Jones and Terrance Green at the two defensive-tackle spots. - Alabama's projected secondary starts Zabien Brown and Dijon Lee at corner, Red Morgan at husky, and Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb at safety.

- Kane Wommack said second-year safety Ivan Taylor will have a substantially larger defensive role after posting some of Alabama's highest tracked practice and offseason workloads. - Keon Sabb and Bray Hubbard remain firmly established as Alabama's starting safeties, making Taylor's expanded contribution most likely part of Wommack's regular defensive rotation. - Wommack said Sabb has improved fundamentally and physically after spending last season recovering from an earlier season-ending injury and is now playing his best football. - Taylor's teammates described him as a fast, aggressive downhill defender with ball skills and instincts who can be trusted to execute throughout the secondary.

- Alabama's 2026 roster ranks No. 3 in the 247Sports Team Talent Composite, and Greg McElroy sees the talent as more evenly distributed across the roster than in 2025, supporting a steadier week-to-week floor. - Quarterback remains the highest-leverage variable in Kalen DeBoer's offense. McElroy framed Keelon Russell as the high-ceiling option and Austin Mack as the lower-variance option; the article notes the interview preceded Russell being named the starter. - McElroy views Alabama's schedule as more manageable than those of several SEC contenders, but flags the road trips to Kentucky and Mississippi State as meaningful upset-risk spots rather than automatic wins. - He cautions that modern roster rules make Saban-era depth and internal accountability difficult to recreate, so Alabama can improve without matching the old dynasty's margin for error.

- Alabama football is not taking the traditional approach when it comes to naming captains ahead of the regular season, Kalen DeBoer made clear this week. "We have not selected captains yet, which is why they haven't been announced," the head coach explained during the Monday press conference. "Going back to the leadership kind of from the beginning, there was less guys, I guess, that had experience in the...

- Coaching: Kalen DeBoer said Alex Asparuhov will be Alabama's punter

- Arkansas football (0-0, 0-0 SEC) opens the season with the North Alabama Lions (1-0, 0-0 UAC) coming to Fayetteville on Saturday. - Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. (CDT), and SEC Network will have television coverage of the game. - The Razorbacks enter their first year under Ryan Silverfield and his new coaching staff, with the offense being led by Tim Cramsey, who was offensive coordinator under Silverfield at Memphis...

- OL: Welcome to the Hall of Fan, Ol' Crimson 👏 No better way to celebrate 500 shows on the road 🎉

- OL: "Physicality and consistency" is what Ryan Grubb wants to see from the offensive line in Game 1

- OL/LB: Alabama football has almost cemented its starting five on the offensive line.

- TE: Alabama football: Keelon Russell “tremendous player” per TE Josh Ford | Roll 'Bama Roll

- TE: 2026 Alabama Fall Football Preview: Tight End - A Deep Group.

- Devan Thompkins is listed at both Bandit and defensive tackle, with Alabama planning to slide him inside on passing downs while using Desmond Umeozulu on the edge. - Oregon transfer Terrance Green opens as the first nose tackle ahead of London Simmons and Isaia Faga, while Kedrick Bingley-Jones starts at defensive tackle in a heavily rotated front whose top three listed linemen are transfers. - Freshman Xavier Griffin is already in the two-deep behind Stinger Caleb Woodson, while Luke Metz leads an inexperienced Mike linebacker group and Cayden Jones was omitted from the depth chart. - Carmelo O'Neal is listed as Dijon Lee's primary backup at boundary corner, while injured Jorden Edmonds is expected eventually to rejoin the rotation. - Ivan Taylor is listed third at strong safety but is expected to be the first safety off the bench, and injured freshman Jireh Edwards is reportedly on track to return sooner than initially expected.

- DL: Alabama defensive line during a drill at practice today.

- Defense: Final: North Alabama 22, Samford 10 North Alabama defender Kanijal Thomas with an interception in the end zone to end this one in Huntsville.

- Intel: For those who saw Season 1 of The Undeclared War (BBC series) on Peacock, all 6 episodes for Season 2 were released at once last week.

- Intel: Alabama QBs Keelon Russell and Austin Mack take some reps before the Crimson Tide’s season opener at Bryant-Denny.

- Intel: Alabama has named three permanent captains for 2026, @yea_ala announced.

- Practice: The two coaches walked off the practice field, harboring a secret.

- Intel: Kalen DeBoer Names Alabama Kick and Punt Returners… Kinda…

- Intel: Alabama football: Who’s ready for the “Keelon Russell show?” | Roll 'Bama Roll

- Intel: Alabama football vs ECU previews and predictions | Roll 'Bama Roll

- Intel: A man named Rocky Beers scored a touchdown in a college football game.

- Intel: Kane Wommack on Keon Sabb: "He's aged like a fine wine ...

- Intel: Alabama football: Optimism abounds on Game Week | Roll 'Bama Roll

- Safeties Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb and cornerback Zabien Brown were among Alabama's defensive backs receiving 2026 preseason award recognition. - Wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams received 2026 preseason award recognition entering Alabama's opener against East Carolina. - Sophomore guard Michael Carroll received 2026 preseason award recognition entering the season. - Outside linebacker Yhonzae Pierre received preseason recognition, while Caleb Woodson appeared on the Butkus Award watch list. - Kicker Lorcan Quinn appeared on the Groza Award watch list entering the 2026 season.

- Intel: It’s football season again, and while college football continues to change, some parts of Alabama football remain timeless.

- Intel: First college football game of the season in Alabama is being played tonight in Huntsville.

- Intel: College football in Alabama begins in Huntsville this season.