Alabama Football 2026: Meet the New Defensive Linemen

Nov 22, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama defensive lineman Tim Keenan III (96) celebrates after sacking Eastern Illinois quarterback Cole LaCrue (3) at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr. -Imagn Images | Gary Cosby Jr.

/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Alabama’s recruiting efforts along the defensive line this year were interesting. The Tide pulled in both volume and quality – however, nearly every single incoming freshman was under 260 pounds, all looking more like defensive ends than interior linemen. Despite that, all the reports were that Alabama viewed many of these players as interior linemen who would quickly bulk up… And, well, with the first RollTide.

com roster update, that’s already proving to be true. On top of that, the Tide added a handful of players in the transfer portal who are expected to be major contributors to the position group. For the purposes of this piece, we’ll be looking at both interior DL players and players who will likely be “Bandits”, or defensive ends.

However, there is some interchangeability between the Bandit and the Wolf linebacker in Alabama’s scheme, so it’s not a perfect delineation, and some guys may swap between the spots before the season ever starts. As always, all ratings will be from the 247Sports Composite, though I’ll mention if the other services have wildly differing opinions. And in case you missed it, you can go check out all of the previous Meet the New Guys articles here .