UAB Blazers 2026 Preview
The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 138 college football team preview series with the UAB Blazers 2026 Season Preview. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) break down the 2026 UAB Blazers roster and what to expect in the American Conference this season. Can Alex Mortensen make good on his first full season as head coach after taking over midway through a rocky 2025? Was that 4-8 record more competitive than it looked on paper?
Can West Virginia and BYU transfer quarterback Ryder Burton build on his upset heroics and steady a rebuilt offense? Does new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham fix a unit that ranked among the worst in the country a year ago? How does a non-conference slate that opens at Illinois before ULM, Louisiana and Samford set up? Can the Blazers navigate an American Conference gauntlet that runs from Memphis to North Texas? And where’s the betting value on the UAB Blazers win total, American Conference odds and College Football Playoff chances? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience.
The UAB Blazers 2026 Preview Starts With Alex Mortensen
The UAB Blazers 2026 preview opens on a program trying to steady itself after a messy fall. First, the Blazers finished 2025 at 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the American Conference. Then they walk through the midseason shakeup, when UAB moved on from Trent Dilfer at 2-4 and turned to Alex Mortensen. Because Mortensen ran the interim stretch, several of those games stayed close into the fourth quarter. Meanwhile the crew flags the Memphis upset as the signature result of the whole year. From there they set up why 2026 feels like a genuine reset.
The hot-seat talk needs the right framing, and the guys make that clear. First, Mortensen was named the permanent head coach in December 2025 and enters his first full season. Then the crew explains that the 3-of-10 hot-seat number is their own hire-confidence scale, not a warning sign. Because he is a fresh hire with a clean runway, they judge the job on fit rather than urgency. Also, they note that Mortensen keeps play-calling duties for himself heading into the season. Next the guys weigh whether that dual role helps or stretches him thin.
Ryder Burton And The UAB Offense
The offense runs through a transfer quarterback with a story the guys clearly like. First, Ryder Burton arrives as a junior who passed through West Virginia and BYU before landing at UAB. Then the crew digs into his 2025 tape, where he made two starts and threw for 708 yards and seven scores. Because his best game came in the Memphis upset, where he went for 251 yards and three touchdowns, the guys lean on that outing. Meanwhile they stress that he still has to hold off a backup competition through fall camp. From there the crew maps how much of the offense leans on him early.
The play-calling setup shapes the rest of the read. First, Mortensen keeps the offensive coordinator duties himself rather than hiring a separate voice, so the scheme stays in his hands. Then the guys note that continuity at the top can help a quarterback settle in faster. Because UAB ranked among the softer offenses in the league a year ago, the room needs a clear jump to move the win total. Also, the crew wants to see the running game carry more of the load this fall. Next they weigh whether Burton plus Mortensen’s system can lift this unit into the middle of the American.
Todd Grantham’s Defensive Rebuild
The defense is where the guys spend their real energy, and for good reason. First, UAB fielded one of the worst scoring defenses in the country in 2025, a unit that gave up points in bunches all fall. Then the crew explains why that side of the ball, more than any other, decided how the season slipped away. Because the back seven struggled to get off the field, close games kept tilting the wrong way. Meanwhile the guys frame the rebuild as the single biggest swing factor for 2026. From there they turn to the man brought in to fix it.
The Todd Grantham hire earns an enthusiastic read from both hosts. First, UAB brought Grantham in during January 2026 to run the defense, replacing the previous staff on that side. Then the crew runs through his long resume, with coordinator stops at Georgia, Florida, Mississippi State and Louisville. Because he carries decades of experience and an NFL background, the guys call him a strong fit for a unit that needed a hard reset. Also, they temper the optimism by noting that a rebuilt defense often lags the offense early. Next the crew lands on cautious hope that Grantham steadies the group by league play.
The 2026 American Conference Schedule
The 2026 schedule sets up with a clear early shape. First, UAB opens on the road at Illinois in a Power Four test, then returns home to face ULM the following week. Then the guys walk through a trip to Louisiana before a home date with Navy and a home game against Samford. Because those non-conference spots mix winnable games with a couple of tough draws, the crew sees a slate that is more forgiving than 2025. Meanwhile they flag the opener at Illinois as the early measuring stick. From there the guys shift to the league gauntlet.
The American Conference run is where the season gets decided. First, UAB draws the Memphis rivalry on the road before hosting East Carolina and taking a bye. Then the guys map the back half, with trips to South Florida, Temple and North Texas around home dates with Charlotte and UTSA. Because so many of the tougher conference tests sit away from home, the math tightens quickly. Also, the crew notes that several league programs are past their own first-year growing pains, which raises the bar. Finally the guys weigh where UAB can steal a game or two to beat expectations.
Win Total And American Conference Odds
The betting board is where the guys get to work. First, the UAB win total sits at 3.5 for 2026, with both the over and the under priced at -115. Then the crew tests that number against a roster in transition and a defense that has to prove it improved. Because UAB sits at the bottom of the 14-team American in projected wins, the market clearly expects a tough year. Meanwhile both hosts land on the under after walking the schedule game by game. From there the guys explain why the path to four wins looks narrow.
The futures market tells the same story from a different angle. First, UAB profiles as a long shot to win the American Conference, well behind the league’s contenders. Then the guys talk through why a College Football Playoff run is off the table for a program in a rebuild year. Because the win total and the conference price both point down, the crew keeps their read consistent across the board. Also, they stress that the real value here is understanding the direction rather than chasing a number. Finally the guys close the UAB Blazers preview with a look at the season ahead.
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Podcast Chapters
00:00 Download the SGPN App Today!
02:05 Welcome To The UAB Blazers Preview
04:37 2025 Season Recap: The Deceiving 4-8
08:36 Alex Mortensen’s Hot Seat Rating
14:05 Ryder Burton And The Offense’s 2026 Outlook
20:55 Todd Grantham Takes Over The Defense
26:33 NIL Beer, Protective Stadium And Program Legends
33:06 State Of The Program And Early Predictions
37:50 Non-Conference Slate: Illinois, ULM, Louisiana & Samford
43:31 American Conference Gauntlet: Memphis Through North Texas
48:11 Locking In The Win Total
55:42 Dream Schedule Additions
57:41 Sign-Off And Next Week’s Stanford Preview
