Most folks in Tuscaloosa believe the biggest reason for Alabama’s downfall over the last couple of seasons has been the run game. Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb fully acknowledges that reality and he believes 2026 is the year Alabama finally gets it right, following his latest announcement.

“You look at a couple of guys we brought in this year. With EJ [Ezavier Crowell] and Cederian Mordan, and that’s what Alabama has been built on for a long, long time,” Kalen DeBoer said to Julianna Reichbach. “They’re already here on campus, you know, back in Tuscaloosa. But really, you know, there’s a lot of physical characteristics that both of them have. They’re outstanding players.

But the maturity and the mindset that those two guys have already at this point in their career has been really impressive. So I’m excited to see what they can do this year. They’re not going to have to wait long to get on the field.”

It’s safe to say coach Grubb is betting on these freshmen to elevate their offense, especially on the run-game. Morgan is an early enrollee and has impressed the coaches during practice.

He’s currently projected as the primary backup at the Z-receiver spot behind Ryan Williams. Given Ryan Williams’ inconsistency, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if he takes the WR1 or WR2 role by the end of the season. Some fans believe this 6’4”, five-star wideout has the same level of ceiling as Malachi Toney.

And to band-aid the running problem, Alabama wouldn’t mind putting Ezavier Crowell as early as the first game of the season if it comes to that. He’s the #1 ranked running back in the state of Alabama. So far, Crowell’s viewed as one of the most “college-ready” backs in the country.

The five-star Alabama native did put up some absolutely insane numbers during his time at Jackson High School. Looking at his high school production, it’s not absurd to think he’s going to get meaningful snaps. Possibly even more so than RB1.

He basically broke the state of Alabama’s rushing records and finished his high school career with over 6,300 rushing yards and 91 touchdowns. His best year was his senior year. He rushed for 2,632 yards and 35 touchdowns on just 209 carries. He averaged a massive 12.6 yards per carry and led his team to a second straight 4A state title. Even breaking the championship game record with 304 rushing yards.

For Grubb, his priority is to get his best players on the field as soon as possible, regardless of age. The last thing he wants is another season defined by a weak run game and an unbalanced offense. With Ezavier Crowell, Cederian Morgan, and Khalifa Keith on the jam, Grubb believes everything will start to fall into place by the time next season arrives.

“I know everybody is dying to see (us be) a little bit better in the run game.” Grubb said this at the ALFCA convention last week. “Obviously, I would be one of those people. And I think for us, the physical mindset that we got to have week in and week out in the SEC to be successful running the football will be paramount to how we can play next year on offense.”

For a program that usually prides itself on being physical and “punching you in the mouth,” the ground attack was almost nonexistent. The Roll Tide got ranked 123rd out of 134 teams nationally. The Tide averaged just 3.35 yards per carry. This has to be one of their worst marks in decades, if not the worst.

What’s more difficult to comprehend is Bama just rushing for -3 yards in their SEC championship game against Georgia. So who is to blame, actually?

The real culprit behind Bama’s poor run-game

A lot of the blame fell on the offensive line because they couldn’t block to save their own lives. Then again, the coaches kept rotating seven or eight guys in and out instead of sticking with a solid five. This led to some level of chemistry issues. As a result, Alabama allowed 33 sacks, the most in the SEC.

This lack of a run game made the whole offense feel lopsided most of the time. Ty Simpson actually had a great year on paper, throwing for over 3,500 yards and 28 touchdowns. But because teams didn’t have to worry about the run, they could just drop everyone back into coverage and pin their ears back to chase Simpson.

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It turned Alabama into a one-dimensional passing team that struggled to score when it mattered most against top-tier defenses. By the end of the season, Simpson got banged up, playing through things like fractured ribs and a messed-up elbow. When your best players are limping and you have no backup plan on the ground, things tend to go south quickly.

Overall, it was a frustrating season of “what ifs.” While the defense was actually pretty solid and the passing game had its moments. The offense just didn’t have that “Bama Standard” of toughness. They finished 11-4 with one playoff win, which most teams would love. But for Alabama fans, the embarrassing rushing stats have to be the clear sign that big changes were needed for the 2026 season.