Alabama Forced to Tap Into Offensive Line Depth Early

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama has had to shuffle its offensive line early in the 2026 season, with right guard Michael Carroll missing the Tide's second game, a road trip to Lexington, Kentucky. Starting left guard William Sanders kicked to right guard, with backup offensive lineman Mal Waldrep Jr. filling in for Sanders at left guard. Carroll returned after missing the Tide's bout with Kentucky.

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Alabama again played musical chairs on the offensive line last weekend in Starkville, with starting right tackle Jayvin James missing the contest. JUCO transfer offensive lineman Tyrell Miller filled in for the Crimson Tide, allowing just one sack in Saturday's 33-point win over the Bulldogs.

Despite some shuffling along the offensive line through the first five games, the Tide has seen little drop-off with the starting unit, and head coach Kalen DeBoer has praised new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm for his work in such a short time.

"I think Coach Klemm has done a really good job of getting their minds to that spot in the offseason, having everyone ready. He's built up competition within that group," DeBoer said on Monday morning. "He's built up expectations. It doesn't matter if you're a starter or a backup. And again, kind of that be ready, not get ready mentality that we talk about as a team as well."

Sophomore Mal Waldrep Jr. allowed one sack during his reps at left guard in week two, while Tyrell Miller allowed just one sack last weekend in Starkville. Waldrep also finished Alabama's matchup with South Carolina playing 26 snaps, allowing just one pressure against the Gamecocks.

"Mal brings a physicality. Even though he's younger, he brings a physicality that I think has helped our team," DeBoer said. "He's got a kind of a no-nonsense approach. He's what you want in an offensive lineman. And it's great to see Tyrell get out there. Tyrell is crazy athletic, has a lot of skill. And for him to get out there and get his feet underneath of him, I thought he did a nice job for his first, really, start, really from a volume standpoint, his most meaningful full reps. There's a high ceiling for him, for sure, and you can see that. He's worked a couple of different positions, because throughout the year, throughout camp, we knew that he had that in him. But you're also trying to get him just settled in on one position and be really good at one spot. But got out there and did a nice job, and I thought both of them were integral to our success.”

While it may be frustrating to see the offensive line shuffling early in the season, valuable reps for multiple offensive linemen can pay dividends later in the season if an injury flares up along the offensive line.

No. 6 Alabama will host No. 2 Georgia on Saturday, October 10, inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. CT on ABC.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.