Alabama’s offense faces a major shift this offseason. With veteran tight end Josh Cuevas leaving for the NFL Draft, the Crimson Tide must replace a key starter. Now, head coach Kalen DeBoer needs sophomore Kaleb Edwards to step up and anchor the position in 2026.
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Kaleb Edwards is expected to take on a bigger role after Cuevas’ departure. he does have experience playing in 15 games last season and starting six of them as a true freshman. He played 15 games last year, starting six as a true freshman. Despite limited targets behind Cuevas, he flashed his potential by catching 11 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. DeBoer clearly values his proven SEC experience heading into the new season.
“Kaleb, last year, took a lot (of reps). He didn’t have a spring and came in the summer, so he wasn’t an early enrollee a year ago,” Kalen DeBoer said. “So, he got thrown in the fire with very few reps. Seeing his development both with the strength in an offseason and then just his familiarity and how confident he is, I think it’s showing up.”
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This confidence comes not just because of Edwards’ potential and performance in spring, but also because of the efforts he is putting in. Edwards is learning under Cuevas to make sure he comes out strong, just like he did by learning from players like CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts, and now he is passing that knowledge down to Edwards.
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“[I’ve learned] a lot of leadership stuff,” Edwards said. “The mindset. Just how to take control of the room, help everyone around me, and myself. … [My freshman year] was surreal. I didn’t expect to play as much as I did. Then my number got called, and it was just a lot of fun. It was a great learning experience, especially just getting to play with Cuevo (Josh Cuevas), learned a whole ton from him.”
Kaleb Edwards is expected to have an expanded role heading into the 2026 season inside of Alabama’s offense. 👀https://t.co/RflZYZwXMA pic.twitter.com/JA2NCVncA2
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) April 6, 2026
Kaleb Edwards looks up to NFL player George Kittle and tries to play like him. He wants to copy Kittle’s style, especially how he blocks and plays with strong energy and effort. He is also trying to improve other parts of his game, like running good routes, catching the ball, and making defenders miss tackles.
On top of it, Kalen DeBoer himself is focusing more on giving Edwards a better learning graph. That’s exactly why he hired Richard Owens as the new tight end coach. Owens is known for helping tight ends get better and become more complete players. He has done this many times before with other players. Knowing that DeBoer believes that if both of them work well together, Alabama’s offense can become more dangerous.
Kalen DeBoer hired tight ends coach Richard Owens specifically to elevate the offense. Owens has a track record of developing NFL talent, having previously mentored standout TEs like D.J. Williams and Chris Gragg at Arkansas. This coaching addition signals Alabama’s commitment to heavily featuring Kaleb Edwards. But he’s not just focused on his game; Edwards is a team player, too, having showered praise on an old friend for his development.
Kalen Edwards praises Kalen DeBoer’s QB and his old friend
Kaleb Edwards and quarterback Austin Mack have known each other for a long time. They grew up in California and used to play against each other in high school. Now, they are on the same team at Alabama, where one side, Edwards, is on the verge of taking a starting role, and the other side, Mack, is competing in the QB1 battle. Edwards doubles down on Mack’s skills as Alabama goes through a major transition.
“I grew up with Austin (Mack) in California,” Edwards said. “Seeing him develop, coming in with Keelon (Russell), both of them have just been amazing. … I think they’re both just hard working, putting their head down and just grinding.”
Both players went to schools that were very close to each other. Austin Mack studied at Folsom High School, while Kaleb Edwards went to Oak Ridge High School, which is only about 16 minutes away. Because they lived so close, they often played against each other in both football and basketball. This helped them build a strong competitive bond from a young age.
“I played him my JV year [in basketball]. I was a freshman, and he was a sophomore. That was a fun time, and we ended up at the same school.” He also adds, “We’ll have to go and play again. But I would say sophomore year, we did beat them that game. … We’d guard each other and everything.”
Both are heading towards a new journey in their college career. So, let’s wait and see how things turn around for them.
