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Alabama football expected to move on from offensive line coach

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Alabama football expected to move on from offensive line coach


Alabama football will have a new offensive line coach next season. The Crimson Tide is expected to move on from Chris Kapilovic, AL.com confirmed on Friday.

The news was first reported by 247Sports.

Kapilovic spent two seasons with UA, after jumping over from Baylor to join Kalen DeBoer’s first staff in Tuscaloosa. He joined the Tide after Scott Huff jumped ship for the NFL after initially following DeBoer from Washington.

Under Kapilovic this season, the offensive line had more than its share of struggles. The unit used a huge rotation of players early in the season, and even after finding a regular five up front, it never became one of the top lines in the SEC.

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In the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, the issues became readily apparent. Ty Simpson was under duress before he was injured in the first half, and the run game struggled mightily, just as it did for much of the year.

Kapilovic will become the first Alabama assistant to leave the staff this offseason without another job offer in hand. Wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard took the head coach job at Oregon State, while wide receivers coach Nick Sheridan headed to Michigan State, where he got an offensive coordinator gig.

Before his brief stint at Baylor, Kapilovic worked at Michigan State from 2020 through 2023 under. He was both offensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Spartans, and also held an assistant head coach title.

Kapilovic spent the 2019 season at Colorado, after working in various roles at North Carolina from 2012 through 2018.

Alabama will be looking for a new offensive line coach to take over a unit that will turn over most of its starters from last year. Michael Carroll is the lone remaining stalwart up front, after Kam Dewberry, Jaeden Roberts and Geno VanDeMark ran out of eligibility, Parker Brailsford and Kadyn Proctor went to the NFL Draft early and Wilkin Formby transferred to Texas A&M.

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Sources: Rice finalizing deal for Alabama assistant coach

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Sources: Rice finalizing deal for Alabama assistant coach


Scott Abell helped the Rice Owls to a rare postseason berth in his first year atop the program in 2025.

Tevin Madison aided perennial powerhouse Alabama as the Crimson Tide returned to the College Football Playoff — the program’s first bid under second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer.

Now, Abell is set to add Madison to his Rice Owls staff.

Sources tell FootballScoop that Madison is set to depart Tuscaloosa, Alabama, barring any unforeseen snags, to take the cornerbacks coach’s job in Abell’s Rice program.

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Most recently, Madison has worked for the Alabama Crimson Tide with an official title of “football analyst,” though Madison has been the program’s assistant defensive backs coach.

It’s another step in the Football Bowls Subdivision for Madison, a former three-year player for the Texas Tech Red Raiders who capped his career at NCAA Division II program West Alabama.

In addition to a stint as a graduate assistant coach at Kansas State, Madison has coached at Illinois State and Southeast Missouri State at the Football Championship Subdivision level.

Abell guided Rice to five wins in 2025, his first season atop the Owls program after a decorated run in charge of the FCS, non-scholarship Davidson Wildcats. The Rice program was awarded a bowl berth for its academic standing when there was a shortage of bowl-eligible teams to fill all postseason slots.

Rice, which had mustered a 5-5 mark through its first 10 games of the 2025 season, dropped its final three including the Armed Forces Bowl against in-state foe Texas State.

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In 2026, the Owls are slated to open Abell’s second year at the helm at home against FCS program Houston Christian University before traveling to the Midwest for a game at Notre Dame, which is entering Year 5 under Marcus Freeman and has emerged as an early consensus contender for the 2026 College Football Playoff.



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Alabama Running Back Is a Quiet Addition With Big Upside for Colorado

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Alabama Running Back Is a Quiet Addition With Big Upside for Colorado


The Colorado Buffaloes’ offseason is all but wrapped up as training camp approaches, and coach Deion Sanders has been busy, adding more than 40 players from the transfer portal. With so much turnover, the roster is starting to finally take shape for the next season.

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One of the most underrated additions this offseason is former Alabama running back Richard Young. Sanders and offensive coordinator Brennan Marion see potential in the former four-star recruit that hasn’t yet been realized.

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Young came to Alabama as part of the 2023 recruiting class out of LeHigh Senior High School in Florida. Despite his talent, he spent much of his time buried on the depth chart and never got a real opportunity to showcase what he can do.

April 9, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama running back Richard Young (25) runs the ball during practice in the Hank Crisp Indoor Practice Facility at the University of Alabama. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Production has been hard to come by for Young, which has been a sticking point in his development. He has fewer than 60 carries in his career and came off a season where he averaged less than three yards per carry.

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If Young can stay healthy and find a consistent role in Colorado’s offense, he has a chance to finally show why he was once such a coveted recruit. With the Buffaloes’ revamped backfield, this could be the perfect stage for him to turn untapped potential into production.

MORE: Colorado Recruit Xavier McDonald Announces Massive Flip on National Signing Day

MORE: Colorado Buffaloes Emerge As Losers of National Signing Day

MORE: The Biggest Thing to Know About Colorado on National Signing Day

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Unlocking the Potential of Colorado’s Revamped Running Backs

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Sep 6, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama running back Richard Young (9) celebrates scoring against UL Monroe at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images | Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

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Still to be determined is how Colorado’s offense will utilize its running backs, but Sacramento State’s Damien Henderson II and Jaquail Smith should be factors from the start. Young and Micah Welch have shown flashes, though neither has yet shown that he can be counted on.

Henderson II and Smith added 1,076 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, showing potential for big plays. This kind of game-breaking ability should serve them well at Colorado, where a much-improved front will set the tone for the offense.

Young will have a big offseason and training camp ahead of him if he wants to get reps, but at his size can make himself valuable as a goal-line bruiser type of tailback. Welch is arguably the biggest question mark in the running back stable, but Young is clearly the favorite to start.

As the main returning back, it’s unclear how Welch fits into Marion’s system. He’s flashed potential, but that hasn’t yet turned into consistent production.

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If Henderson II and Smith can carry over their big-play ability from Sacramento State, they could become the engine of Colorado’s rushing attack. Early contributions from the two could set the tone for the offense and turn the backfield from a question mark into a genuine strength.

Can Richard Young Make an Impact in Colorado’s Backfield?

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Nov 22, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama running back Richard Young (9) runs the ball against Eastern Illinois at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images | Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

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The odds of Young making an impact in Colorado’s backfield are high, especially as a redshirt junior. He brings experience that the Hornets running backs don’t, along with Welch, and could step in right away.

With his time at Alabama and his ability to run between the tackles, Young has the tools to take over the backfield. He was a four-star recruit for a reason, but he just needs the opportunity to show what he can do.

His mix of size, vision, and power gives the Buffaloes a back who can control the line of scrimmage and create opportunities for the entire offense. 

If he can stay healthy and adapt quickly to the system, Young has the potential to be a reliable, dynamic weapon every game. This could be the season he finally lives up to the hype and becomes a true cornerstone of the Buffaloes’ rushing attack.

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Judge blocks former NBA Draft prospect from playing for Alabama in potential precedent-setting ruling

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Judge blocks former NBA Draft prospect from playing for Alabama in potential precedent-setting ruling


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A potential groundbreaking decision was made in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Monday that could change NCAA eligibility forever.

A judge denied Charles Bediako’s motion for a preliminary injunction that would allow him to continue playing basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide after he returned despite declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft.

So, after just five games, Bediako’s season is over, per AL.com’s Nick Kelly.

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Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide waits to enter his first collegiate game in two years during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Coleman Coliseum on Jan. 24, 2026 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)

“Common sense won a round today,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement, per Yahoo Sports. “The court saw this for what it is: an attempt by professionals to pivot back to college and crowd out the next generation of students. College sports are for students, not for people who already walked away to go pro and now want to hit the ‘undo’ button at the expense of a teenager’s dream.

“While we’re glad the court upheld the rules our members actually want, one win doesn’t fix the national mess of state laws. It’s time for Congress to stop watching from the sidelines and help us provide some actual stability.”

Bediako filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in order to return to his Crimson Tide squad, where he last played during the 2022-23 season. The 7-foot center declared for the NBA Draft after that year, but he went unselected in the two rounds.

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Bediako eventually spent time in the G League over the past three seasons, which includes six games for the Motor City Cruise this season.

However, he was granted a temporary restraining order in January, allowing him to return to Alabama to play for his old team despite the NCAA initially denying the Crimson Tide’s request to have him on the roster.

Bediako isn’t the first player whose attempt to head back to college after going pro hasn’t gone swimmingly.

James Nnaji, who was actually taken in the same draft as Bediako, shocked everyone when he committed to Baylor. While he hadn’t played in an NBA game, Nnaji was the first former draftee to be cleared to play in college.

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Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during the second half in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at KFC YUM! Center against the San Diego State Aztecs on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

It started a wave of similar commitments, which include G League players Thierry Darlan and London Johnson heading to Santa Clara and Louisville, though it is for next season.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats told The Athletic that Bediako will remain on scholarship even if he can’t play.

“Charles has done nothing wrong. I will stand by our guys every single time, no matter what the outside says when they’ve done nothing wrong, and Charles has done everything right,” Oats told the outlet.

Meanwhile, Arkansas head coach John Calipari unloaded on the current state of college basketball for allowing players to head back into college.

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“Does anybody care what this is doing for 17- and 18-year-old American kids?” Calipari questioned in his nearly seven-minute monologue in December 2025. “Do you know what this opportunity has done for them and their families? There aren’t gonna be any high school kids. Who, other than dumb people like me, are gonna recruit high school kids? I get so much satisfaction out of coaching young kids and seeing them grow and make it, and their family’s life changes, that I’m gonna keep doing it. But why would anybody else, if you can get NBA players, G-League players, guys that are 28 years old, guys from Europe — do we really know their transcript? Do we have somebody over there? Do we really know their birth certificate? Or don’t we?

“If you put your name in the draft, I don’t care if you’re from Russia and you stay in the draft, you can’t play college basketball. ‘Well, that’s only for American kids.’ What? If your name is in that draft, and you got drafted, you can’t play college because that’s our rule. ‘Yeah, but that’s only for American kids.’ OK. OK.”

But Alabama feels that it has been done wrong by the NCAA considering players have been allowed in other programs to play this season despite going pro, Nnaji being an example.

“I respectfully ask the Court to uphold the NCAA eligibility rules challenged in this case, which are essential to the integrity of college sports, to the educational mission they serve, and to the opportunities they provide for current and future student-athletes,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a four-page affidavit filed last week.

Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide makes his return to the college court during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Coleman Coliseum on Jan. 24, 2026 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)

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The university added a statement following the court’s ruling, per Yahoo Sports.

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“While we understand the concern around competitive and developmental implications of former professional athletes participating in college, it is important to acknowledge reality,” the statement read.

“The NCAA has granted eligibility to over 100 current men’s basketball players with prior professional experience in the G League or overseas. Granting eligibility to some former professionals and not to others is what creates the havoc we are currently in and why consistency from decisions-makers is so desperately needed.”

The Crimson Tide went 3-2 with Bediako back on their bench.

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