The Crimson Tide is three games into the 2025 season, and the coaching staff has seen nearly all of the team’s scholarship players touch the field. While most of the depth chart is likely locked in for the time being, there are some spots where it isn’t clear who the coaches will prefer to play in Alabama’s next few games.
Here are the key positions that are still being battled out among players going into the bye week.
Left and right guard
After spring practices ended, Kam Dewberry and Jaeden Roberts were the presumed starters at left and right guard, respectively. Dewberry, who transferred from Texas A&M, appeared to have beaten out senior Geno VanDeMark for the spot, while Roberts was a returning starter from last year.
VanDeMark impressed the coaches in fall camp, however, and entrenched himself in battles with both Dewberry and Roberts for either of their positions. After widely being viewed as a challenger only for the left guard spot, VanDeMark went several fall practices getting first team reps on the right side while Roberts went with the second team.
PFF reported a 69.0 grade for VanDeMark’s performance against Florida State, good for fifth-best among Alabama players and the team’s best offensive line performance in the game.
“I really like the way he’s developed, coming back from a year ago,” head coach Kalen DeBoer said of VanDeMark this fall. “He’s comfortable in all those spots, playing aggressively, playing confidently.”
The future of the guard rotation is further muddied by the fact that Roberts just made his first appearance against Wisconsin after dealing with an injury that had left Dewberry as the starter on the left side and VanDeMark taking up the vacancy on the right.
Although VanDeMark still got the start against Wisconsin, Roberts could plausibly return to his starting role going forward now that he’s gotten back in playing shape.
Right tackle
It wasn’t known before the season started that this would be a position battle, as redshirt freshman Wilkin Formby seemed to be far and away the best option to anchor the right side of the offensive line.
That was until true freshman Michael Carroll saw 31 snaps against Louisiana-Monroe and 13 against Wisconsin, leading to speculation that Formby’s hold on the position isn’t as strong as it was previously thought to be.
Carroll was ranked as the 14th best player in the class of 2025 by the On3 industry rating. Although recruited as an interior offensive lineman, the coaching staff gave him a look at tackle during fall camp and saw him as a two-deep piece immediately.
“I love the way he plays,” DeBoer said of Carroll. “He plays hard, really hard … the competition helps everyone, it helps Michael and his motivation … and it helps Wilkin.”
If Formby’s performance doesn’t begin to stand out more as the season goes on, the coaches may give the nod to the younger Carroll as he continues to grow accustomed to college competition.
Carroll was graded five points higher than Formby against Wisconsin, per PFF statistics as cited by On3, and DeBoer may want someone who’s proven, if young, to line up against Georgia’s defensive line in Week 5.
Running back
With Jam Miller, who was slated to be the Crimson Tide’s starter at tailback, having yet to play due to a collarbone injury sustained during fall practice, the coaching staff has given looks to all five other running backs on the roster to see who can eventually be Alabama’s second option out of the backfield when Miller returns.
On Alabama’s official depth chart prior to its matchup at Florida State, Richard Young, Daniel Hill and Dre Washington were listed as co-starters at the position, but it ended up being redshirt freshman Kevin Riley who showed the most promise that game.
In a game in which Alabama struggled to run the ball at all, Riley’s 6.2 yards per carry were by far the best numbers on the team, trailed by Daniel Hill at 3.0.
“He’s a guy that’s made the most out of all his touches,” offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said of Riley. “That’s one of the things I think Kevin brings to the table is his ability to make people miss in open space, and real reliable out of the backfield in catching the football.”
In a surprising turn of events, Riley and true freshman AK Dear have been the most explosive backs on the team thus far, combining for 6.8 yards per carry next to 3.1 by Young, Hill and Washington.
While Dear has gotten the bulk of his yardage at the end of games that were already decided, his performance could still put pressure on the older players in the room. Alabama ran for only 72 yards against Wisconsin, and if it proves Riley and Dear are the most capable of relieving Miller when he’s playing again, the experience of the team’s more veteran backs won’t stop those two from seeing the field.
