Kalen DeBoer saved his job for the 2026 season by getting Alabama to the playoffs. However, some problem areas in the team had become difficult to ignore by that point. Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack threw some light on those issues entering the 2026 season, and the goals that the team is trying to achieve.

“We’ve done some good things here, and I know that our numbers and all that stuff have been pretty solid for the last two years,” Wommack said. “We just haven’t been a dominant defense. I mean consistently, throughout the season. We’ve shown flashes of it, but I’d like to be more dominant up front.”

Alabama was getting those wins in the 2025 season largely due to offensive play. The cracks in the defense ultimately caused the side to fall apart in the Rose Bowl, as Indiana bludgeoned the Tide with 38 points. They presented in the opener itself, which Alabama lost on a humiliating note. The defense could not generate enough pressure and did not tackle well, with the backend struggling. In the SEC Championship against Georgia, Alabama could sack quarterback Gunner Stockton only once. Wommack also stressed that pass rush had become a problem. Alabama hadn’t seen a strong pass rusher in the past two seasons until Yhonzae Pierre emerged.

This was not a side that could stand out in the 2025 season, as Ohio State and Miami did. The Alabama defense also allowed opponents to convert 45.95% of third downs, a mark that ranked 100th out of 136 teams. The early games told the same story. Florida State Seminoles football went 5-of-12 (41.7%), ULM Warhawks football finished 6-of-14 (42.9%), and Wisconsin Badgers football cashed in 6-of-11 (54.5%) when the Tide tried to end drives.

However, there were some instances where the defense flexed its muscle. Against LSU, they showed their strength in the second quarter when the Tigers managed only 43 total yards in the quarter, including just eight passing yards. It’s proof of how Alabama disrupted the passing game. But on the rushing side of things, Alabama rarely saw any good. The Tide gave up 126.87 yards per game on the ground.

Kalen DeBoer will face a make-or-break season yet again in 2026, and he needs the defense to pack a punch. Fortunately, there are some players he and Kane Wommack can count on to flip the script.

Kane Wommack’s weapons for a defensive reset in 2026

After opening the season as a backup behind Qua Russaw, Yhonzae Pierre now rolls into the 2026 season with serious All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year buzz. Even though he didn’t crack the starting lineup until the fourth game, DeBoer’s linebacker still stacked up eight sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. 

“I think Yhonzae’s continued to take that next step forward,” Wommack said about the player after the fourth spring practice. “He’s carrying himself like a guy who has accomplished a lot of things this past season.”

Alabama’s entire secondary is returning for the 2026 season, which is a key strength for the team this year. Starters Dijon Lee Jr., Zabien Brown, Bray Hubbard, and others will be crucial for the defense to build its missing identity. Lee Jr. believes that this unit is among the best in the nation this year.

Sure, Kalen DeBoer’s defense looked dialed in during spring drills. But the true test comes when the season kicks off. Alabama’s 2026 schedule packs nine SEC showdowns and a brutal four-game stretch that could test even the toughest units.