ESPN’s Wild Take on Bama’s Future Has Fans Scratching Their Heads
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg just dropped his latest power rankings for college football’s next three years — and let’s just say, Alabama fans are NOT amused.
Despite a 9-4 first season under Kalen DeBoer, most people agree the Crimson Tide are headed in the right direction. With a stacked roster and a top-tier 2025 recruiting class, Alabama is expected to be a legit national title contender next year. That is… unless you ask ESPN.
Rittenberg somehow slotted Alabama at No. 10 — fifth in the SEC — behind Texas (No. 1), Georgia (No. 3), LSU (No. 8), and even Tennessee (No. 9). Texas and Georgia? Okay, maybe. But Tennessee and LSU ahead of Bama? That’s a stretch.
Let’s not forget: Tennessee is still trying to recover after losing QB Nico Iamaleava to UCLA. And Alabama crushed LSU 42–13 in Baton Rouge just last year. But sure, tell us more about how those programs are better positioned long-term.
Rittenberg points to Alabama’s quarterback uncertainty and depth losses via the Transfer Portal. But here’s the thing: most of that portal movement was intentional. DeBoer reshaped the roster on purpose — this isn’t panic-mode attrition, it’s a rebuild by design.
As for the supposed depth issues, Alabama’s got talent all over the field. Maybe they’re a bit young on the O-line behind the starters, but honestly, that’s the case for nearly every big program.
And then there’s Rittenberg’s biggest head-scratcher — claiming Alabama’s 2026 recruiting class is off to a “slow start.” Not true. The Tide had four commits at this time last year. Now they’ve got five, and more are on the way. In fact, no team has a higher average rating per commit than Alabama right now. Quality over quantity — and the quantity is coming.
Sure, Alabama might not be the Saban-era juggernaut anymore. But to rank them 10th over the next three years? That’s just lazy analysis.
“ESPN Just Did Bama Dirty with This Laughable Power Ranking Reason”
