Alabama's Defense Faces Familiar Challenge As Commodores Feature Exceptional Experience Across the Offensive Line

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- No. 10 Alabama must have deja vu as the program enters its SEC home opener this Saturday against No. 16 Vanderbilt. The Crimson Tide is coming off an emotional top-five victory over the Georgia Bulldogs for the second straight season and, like last season, must turn around and take on a gritty Commodores program looking to upend the Alabama's season.

The scenarios are nearly identical to 2024, except this season the Commodores are unbeaten and ranked, however there is another another, more concerning parallel the one-loss Crimson Tide program must face.

Alabama's only loss of the year came in the season opener to Florida State as the Crimson Tide was out-muscled at the point of attack, allowing 230 rushing yards and falling 31-17. The Seminoles dipped into the transfer portal in the offseason and found veteran linemen capable of running offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's system to perfection as they leaned on a young Alabama defensive front.

Florida State Offensive Line

Left Tackle - Gunnar Hansen - Redshirt Senior - Vanderbilt Transfer
Left Guard - Richie Leonard IV - Redshirt Senior - Florida Transfer
Center - Luke Petitbon - Redshirt Senior - Wake Forest Transfer
Right Guard - Adrian Medley - Redshirt Senior - Central Florida Transfer
Right Tackle - Micah Pettus - Reshirt Senior - Ole Miss Transfer

Similarly, the Commodores went into the transfer portal and found experienced offensive linemen to run offensive coordinator Tim Beck's system and through five games the 'Dores are averaging 223.4 yards per game on the ground, good for 18th nationally.

Vanderbilt Offensive Line

Quick Tackle - Isaiah Glass - Graduate - Oklahoma State and Arizona State Transfer
Quick Guard - Cade McConnell - Redshirt Junior - Minnesota Transfer
Center - Jordan White - Graduate - West Virginia and Liberty Transfer
Strong Guard - Chase Mitchell - Graduate - Liberty Transfer
Strong Tackle - Bryce Henderson - Graduate - South Dakota Transfer

The Crimson Tide went to Tallahassee without veteran defensive lineman Tim Keenan and lost second-year defender Jeremiah Beaman in the days leading up to the game, forcing young players Edric Hill, London Simmons, and Isaia Faga into a larger role.

Alabama got Keenan back in the lineup last week against Georgia, but will be without veteran James Smith for the first half after he was called for targeting against the Bulldogs, meaning, once again, the young players will have to step up against an older offensive line.

"So we certainly do need to rise to the occasion as your second question, just we got to rise to the occasion and keep asking more out of our young guys against the veteran group, like you said, and I think we're doing that," Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said on Monday. "I think we guys are straining in practice. I've been on the young guys as much as anything, not just at that position, but across the board for them to understand, you know, the urgency that they got to have, just in meetings and on the field, the strain that it takes and then now they're seeing, I think you get into game day in these big games, the SEC games. They're getting it, they're figuring it out."

Hill, Simmons, and Faga now have four games of experience under their belt. They'll have veterans in Keenan and LT Overton to lean on until Smith's return in the second half, but it's still a unit that needs to improve as the season progresses. Alabama ranks 90th in the nation in run defense, allowing 160.5 yards per game.

Overton expressed confidence in his young teammates ahead of the matchup, while noting the challenge the team is up against.

"We know our young guys are willing to come in and eat," Overton said on Tuesday. "Come in and do their job. So that's what I'm really most excited about, seeing those other guys come in and have to pick up that role.

The Commodores starting offensive line entered the year with 145 collective appearances in college football at various schools. The unit features transfers from Liberty, South Dakota, Oklahoma State and Minnesota with four of the five having already graduated. The group has not only paved the way for Vanderbilt's rushing attack, but has also been one of the best pass protection units in the nation, giving up just three sacks through five games of action.

"Honestly, just their capability of working together as a team," Overton said. "They don't do anything better than we haven't seen from this year or last year, but it's really just the teamwork that they have. They play good ball together, offensively and defensively."

Becks offense get the ball into multiple playmakers hands as 17 different Commodores have carried the football this year and 15 different 'Dores have made a reception in the passing game. They balance the rushing and passing to average 494.4 yards of total offense per game, good enough for 14th nationally.

Overton said the key to playing well on Saturday is keeping their eyes in the right place, something the Crimson Tide struggled with in the 2024 matchup, allowing 418 yards of offense in Nashville.

"They'll throw like three or four different options at you, basing off what the end's going to do," Overton said. "Honestly, I'm just going to have to keep my eyes in the right place and do my job. That's really all that is."

The name may say Vanderbilt on the front of the opposing jerseys on Saturday and the Crimson Tide may carry a 60-20-4 series advantage into this weekend's matchup. But the program knows this isn't the same old Commodores. Vanderbilt is 5-0, with a road-SEC win under their belt, and carries confidence into Tuscaloosa for good reason. The 'Dores beat Bama last season and carried the momentum through the offseason and into the first month of the 2025 season, making this weekend the first ranked matchup between the two programs since 1937.

AP poll last time Alabama-Vanderbilt was a ranked matchup (Thanksgiving 1937) pic.twitter.com/AleiAwWqyU
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownCFB) September 28, 2025

"They're not a team that should be taken for granted," Overton said. "They're a good ass SEC team."