Alabama's Spot in Sports Illustrated's Way-Too-Early Rankings Entering Summer

Sports Illustrated placed the Crimson Tide at No. 15 following the conclusion of the 2025 season, but did Alabama make enough noise this spring to move up?

Alabama Football Head Coach Kalen DeBoer | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

Alabama is now just 122 days from kicking off the 2026 season at home against East Carolina, as football season will be here before we know it.

The Crimson Tide finished its second year under head coach Kalen DeBoer 11-4, with the final loss coming in the College Football Playoff against Indiana at the Rose Bowl. UA was the No. 9 team entering that game and at that same spot in the final AP Top 25 following the Hoosiers' National Championship victory over Miami.

On Jan. 19, one day after the season concluded, Sports Illustrated placed Alabama as the No. 15 team in its way-too-early rankings. The Crimson Tide is now entering the summer following the conclusion of spring practice in mid-April, and on Wednesday, Alabama remained at No. 15 in Sports Illustrated's latest way-too-early list.

"As expected, no decision was made in the QB battle between Keelon Russell and Austin Mack, but the former has a good shot at winning the job and giving the Tide natural upside," Sports Illustrated's Bryan Fischer wrote. "The transfers on defense received positive reviews during spring ball, but the question marks along the offensive line are going to persist as the obvious weak point for the team."

Fischer got the gist of it. Russell vs. Mack is the clear-cut competition to keep an eye on over the next couple of months, as DeBoer probably won't name the Week 1 starter for quite some time.

That said, redshirt freshman Russell had the edge over redshirt junior Mack on A-Day. Russell completed 21 of 33 pass attempts for 242 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Mack went 6-for-12 for 101 yards, a touchdown and an interception. But as the numbers suggest, Russell had significantly more reps. DeBoer didn't go into specifics, but he did say after A-Day that Mack was limited due to being "dinged up a little bit".

One of the defensive transfers that Fischer is likely referring to is linebacker Caleb Woodson, who came to Tuscaloosa after three years at Virginia Tech. The Crimson Tide is losing Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson and Nikhai Hill-Green at the inside linebacker position and DeBoer said on March 11 — a month before A-Day — that he sees Woodson as a "captain-type guy."

The offensive line is definitely a question mark, especially due to four of the 2025 starters no longer being at UA. Returning starter Michael Carroll is expected to be the right guard, while Jackson Lloyd will be the left tackle, but the other spots are up for grabs. There are a couple of candidates for the remaining positions, but new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm must pick the players who can consistently open lanes in the Tide's run game — Alabama's biggest weakness last season.

SI's Way-Too-Early Top 25 Entering Summer:

1. Notre Dame (previously No. 2)
2. Oregon (previously No. 6)
3. Ohio State (previously No. 1)
4. Miami (previously No. 7)
5. Georgia (previously No. 3)
6. Texas (previously No. 4)
7. Indiana (previously No. 5)
8. LSU (previously No. 10)
9. Michigan (previously No. 11)
10. Oklahoma (previously No. 19)
11. BYU (previously No. 9)
12. Texas A&M (previously No. 12)
13. Texas Tech (previously No. 8)
14. USC (previously No. 13)
15. Alabama (previously No. 15)
16. Ole Miss (previously No. 18)
17. SMU (previously No. 14)
18. Penn State (previously No. 22)
19. Florida (previously No. 20)
20. Washington (previously No. 24)
21. Missouri (previously unranked)
22. Boise State (previously No. 23)
23. Tennessee (previously unranked)
24. Utah (previously No. 17)
25. Virginia Tech (previously No. 21)

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky for the latest news