Ryan Grubb is entering his second season as the offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide football program. Grubb had a bit of an up-and-down season calling plays for the Tide in 2025 and will look to have more consistency from his offense in 2026.
One of the biggest issues that plagued the Alabama offense in 2025 was the disappointing play of the offensive line. Dating back to the early Nick Saban days in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide has been known for its physical play along the line of scrimmage, but 2025 proved to be anything but that.
Alabama had one of the worst rushing attacks last season, averaging just 104.1 yards on the ground per game. Only five Power Four teams finished behind Alabama in rushing yards per game.
Aside from the poor rushing attack, the Crimson Tide’s offensive line also struggled to consistently protect starting quarterback Ty Simpson, who was sacked 28 times during the season.
What Changes Did Alabama Make on the Offensive Line this Offseason?
Alabama did not waste any time overhauling the offensive line room following the 2025 season. Aside from the departures of future NFL draft picks Kadyn Proctor and Parker Brailsford, among others, the Crimson Tide saw six reserve linemen leave the Capstone via the transfer portal.
The overhaul didn’t end there; between the portal and high school recruiting, Alabama brought in a total of 11 new offensive linemen to compete for a starting spot in 2026.
Player turnover was not the only move Kalen DeBoer made during the offseason, either. DeBoer parted ways with offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic and replaced him with veteran Adrian Klemm.
What is Ryan Grubb Saying About the Offensive Line?
Alabama began spring practice on Sunday, March 8th, and would complete a total of four practices before the university started spring break the week of March 14th. Following Alabama’s second spring practice, Grubb met with the media and discussed the Crimson Tide offense, most notably the offensive line.
Grubb’s boldest statement came when he told Colin Gay of the Tuscaloosa News that redshirt freshman Jackson Lloyd was “our left tackle.”
Lloyd was a top 50 player in the Rivals Industry Rankings in the class of 2025 and played just 41 snaps along the offensive line as a true freshman last season. The fact that the Alabama coaching staff already has this much confidence in him has to be promising news for the Crimson Tide faithful.
With Lloyd presumably starting at left tackle and sophomore Michael Carroll returning at right tackle, Alabama has a pair of second-year rising stars to help anchor the line in 2026.
Despite a couple of the spots along the offensive line already being spoken for, there will still be plenty of competition throughout the remainder of spring practice for the Crimson Tide.
Even still, it is far too early to say whether the wholesale changes Alabama made to the offensive line will pay off for the Tide in 2026.
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