Which Alabama Position Battle I'm Watching Heading Into Game Week: Just a Minute

Welcome to BamaCentral’s "Just a Minute," a video series featuring Alabama Crimson Tide on SI's beat writers. Multiple times per week, the writers will group up or film solo to provide their take on a topic concerning the Crimson Tide or the landscape of college sports.

Watch the above video as Alabama Crimson Tide on SI assistant editor and football writer Katie Windham discusses the position battle she's keeping an eye on as the Crimson Tide wraps up the preseason and heads into game week for the season opener against East Carolina.

The biggest position battle of the offseason for Alabama has been determined with sophomore Keelon Russell being named the starting quarterback over senior Austin Mack. One of the biggest on defense was announced on Wednesday when defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said sophomore Luke Metz will be starting at inside linebacker alongside Virginia Tech transfer Caleb Woodson.

There are still a few position battles lingering, and I think the most important one left out there is left guard. Junior William Sanders saw time in the offensive line rotation last season but missed the spring with an injury. Sophomore Mal Waldrep Jr. played at left guard throughout the spring while Sanders was out and has also gotten most of the first-team reps in the fall.

Alabama's consistency and cohesion along the offensive line will be so important to this team's overall success after O-line struggles the last two years. The Tide coaching staff had to implement a lot of rotation the last two seasons, but offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has said he wants to try to stick with the same five for most of the season this year.

It is never set in stone, but this means whoever starts Week 1 will likely have the upper edge for the rest of the season, and Alabama needs to find some consistency as it also breaks in a new starting quarterback.

I don't expect Alabama will release a depth chart until right before the game on Sept. 5. Grubb or head coach Kalen DeBoer may reveal the winner of the left guard battle during Monday's press conferences, but there is a good possibility it will be a game-time decision.

2026 Alabama football schedule

Sept. 5: vs. East Carolina
Sept. 12: at Kentucky
Sept. 19: vs. Florida State
Sept. 26: vs. South Carolina
Oct. 3: at Mississippi State
Oct. 10: vs. Georgia
Oct. 17: at Tennessee
Oct. 24: vs. Texas A&M
Nov. 7: at LSU
Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt
Nov. 21: vs. Chattanooga
Nov. 28: vs. Auburn

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