Ryan Grubb Says Alabama's Offensive Line is 'A Little Ways Off' from Starting Five

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama football played eight different offensive linemen in significant action in 2025 as the program struggled with continuity up front throughout the year. The Crimson Tide rotated players in and out of the lineup during games, and even swapped players' positions as they searched for a combination of five players to drive the offense.

Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb told reporters after the program's second day off fall camp that the mission is to find the best five offensive linemen as early as possible so the unit can gel with one another, protect a new quarterback and revive the running game.

"Best five," Grubb said. "There were injuries, guys that've got to move in and out, things like that, but certainly want to get the gel right, right away."

Establishing the best five becomes a tall task when considering the unit is looking for four new starters and is under the tutelage of a new position coach in Adrian Klemm. The Crimson Tide is moving returning starter Michael Carroll from tackle to guard, inserting an inexperienced player at left tackle in Jackson Lloyd, turning to a D2 transfer at center in Racin Delgatty, and is in the midst of position battles at left guard and right tackle.

"I think we're a little ways off yet, if I'm being honest," Grubb said. "We've got some time here. We've got a lot of banked reps. So, we've seen all these guys, with the exception of Will [Sanders] - most of these guys have been out there quite a bit. I don't think it, obviously, is going to take all camp, but you'd love that to sync up with your quarterback decision so you can get some unity going into game week."

The offensive line is the Alabama position group under the most pressure to perform as the unit generated a measly 104.1 yards on the ground last season and gave up 32 sacks, good for 125th and 90th respectively.

The linemen strive to prove themselves as fall camp gets rolling, but fixing Alabama's atrocious running game is an all hands on deck kind of problem. Grubb divuldged his approach from a coaching standpoint invloved evaluating what the team excelled at last season and leaning into that for the upcoming year.

"Simplify and do your best stuff," Grubb said. "Don't get an inch deep and a mile wide. Do what you're good at and be great at it. Coach Klemm has done an excellent job with helping build that. Between him and Rich Owens, and super excited to work with those two guys in resurrecting the run game, and we will.

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