UAB Blazers 2026 Season Preview

Redshirt junior Ryder Burton finally owns the job after years of waiting behind Jalen Kitna. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Utah native flashed his ceiling last fall, throwing for 251 yards and three scores in that Memphis upset and adding 213 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Rice. His full-season line of roughly 708 yards on a 7-to-5 touchdown-to-interception split shows how little he actually played, but the coaching staff regards him as its best leader and, in the preseason view, potentially one of the better quarterbacks in the league.

The larger worry is behind him. Sophomore Nate Rogers is the presumed backup, but depth at the position stays an open question until it is proven on the field.

This group leans on projection more than production. The receiver room was gutted, and its outlook hinges partly on whether Kaleb Brown, a well-traveled Ohio State and Iowa product, returns cleanly from a spring ankle injury. Ty Mims arrives from Southern Miss as a proven slot option, with CJ Smith, AJ Johnson and Oklahoma transfer KJ Daniels filling out a largely rebuilt corps. The steadier presence is tight end Antonio Ferguson, an all-conference-caliber pass catcher who is poised for a breakout in what looks like the position's strongest spot.

The backfield is the offense's clear strength, described in preseason circles as holding four potential lead backs. The headliner is Georgia transfer Rod Robinson II, a 6-foot-1, 235-pound power runner from San Diego who caught a pass in last year's SEC title game. Injuries limited him to 221 yards across three seasons in Athens, but healthy he profiles as one of the better runners in the American and a mid-round-caliber back to track. He fronts a deep room that includes ULM transfer Bam McReynolds (637 yards) and Coastal Carolina's Ja'Vin Simpkins (591 yards), a pair who combined for well over 1,200 rushing yards a year ago, with Marquise Collins adding more depth.

Depth should be a genuine asset up front, and this is one of the few spots with real continuity. Center Adam Lepkowski and right guard Calib Perez, a Duke transfer, return as anchors and offensive leaders, bringing nearly 40 combined career starts. Texas transfer Payton Kirkland holds down left tackle, with Cooper Young at guard and Kyrik Mason at right tackle rounding out a more veteran group than the Blazers had a year ago.

Grantham rebuilt the front almost entirely through the portal, and it should be stout in the middle. Cam Cunningham, Chris Spencer and Noah Nelson give the interior size and experience, and the group gets a major boost from 6-foot-3, 330-pound Nigel Tate, a Boston College transfer who was slated to anchor the line last season before a torn Achilles in fall camp. On the edge, Marlin Dean, a 6-foot-5 presence who began his career at Georgia and is now on his fourth stop, provides the marquee pass rush, opposite the undersized but twitchy Morgan State transfer Blanche Gold. The unit passes the eye test; whether it produces is the question after the Blazers lost the bulk of last year's line.

The inside pairing is set with Middle Tennessee transfer Muaaz Byard and Ike Esonwune, a versatile Oklahoma State product who already knows Grantham's system from their time together last fall and profiles as a defensive leader. Both are proven tacklers, and EKU transfer Braden Sullivan adds another experienced body. The concern is depth: with the entire top rotation from a year ago gone, the reserves behind the starters are the biggest unknown on defense.

Cornerback Delvon Gulley is the defense's only returning starter, back after an up-and-down year. The coverage upgrade may be Marshall transfer Darrell Sweeting, seen as potentially the best cover corner on the roster. The safety spots are stocked with portal additions in Jeremiah Jordan and Jotavian Pierce, joined by Montana transfer Diezel Wilkinson and Jaylen Thompson, with Anta'Veon McKenzie manning the nickel. Grantham and his staff clearly prioritized depth here, though it is a group learning to play together on the fly.

The kicking game has a real weapon in Jonah Delange, a first-team all-conference selection and league special-teams player of the year in 2024. He has connected on 31 of 38 career field goals with a long of 52 and has been automatic on extra points. Owen Simpson handles kickoffs, while LSU transfer Badger Hargett takes over at punter. Beyond Delange, the coverage and return units are largely inexperienced.