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Alabama OT Michael Carroll re-signs, returning for 2026 season

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh01/07/26griffin_mcveigh

Alabama offensive tackle Michael Carroll has re-signed with the program and will return to Tuscaloosa for the 2026 season, he told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. Head coach Kalen DeBoer has seen significant turnover on the offensive line already this offseason. But getting Carroll back brings some stability. A massive win for the Crimson Tide.

“Ready to get back to work with my brothers,” Carroll said via Fawcett. “Roll Tide.”

Carroll played in 13 games during his true freshman campaign, starting in five of them. Right tackle is where Alabama deployed him and certainly enjoyed the results. Shuffling of the offensive line led to Carroll taking first-team reps in some of the biggest games of the season, including the College Football Playoff. Performances were good enough for Carroll to be named to the On3 True Freshman All-American team.

“It’s been a blessing, even better than I could have imagined coming out of high school recruitment,” Carroll said at Rose Bowl Media Days via On3 | Rivals’ BOL. “I had no idea what my future would be at Alabama because it’s such a historic university, so I was just coming in with the mindset of working as hard as I can and trusting the process. I first wanted to earn the guys’ respect in the room, showing them how hard I work and how much I care.”

Carroll played high school football at IMG Academy, where he was a five-star prospect, but is originally from Doylestown (PA). He was the No. 14 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What the future holds for Michael Carroll, Alabama offensive line

Carroll is expected to be the lone returning starter Alabama has on the offensive line. Two guys, Kadyn Proctor and Parker Brailsford, are off to the NFL. A handful of others have left via the NCAA transfer portal. Four of the five starting spots are expected to be up for grabs.

At least one familiar face for Carroll will be in the room, though. Kaden Strayhorn recently announced he will be transferring to Alabama after spending a year in Ann Arbor. The Michigan product is an interior offensive lineman and a high school teammate of Carroll.

There is still plenty of work for DeBoer and his staff to get done. But for now, the news of Carroll re-signing is a major boost.