Alex Mortensen: UAB Took the Field 40 Players Short and Won Anyway

UAB football head coach Alex Mortensen joins The Cart Barn for a 2026 season preview, recorded on the range at the Regions Tradition just days before college football kickoff. Mortensen, who spent nine seasons on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama, breaks down NIL, revenue sharing, the transfer portal, and how UAB football is closing the recruiting gap on American Conference contenders like Tulane, Memphis, and USF.

Mortensen also tells the story of UAB taking the field against Tulsa 40 players short, and winning the program's first road game in three years.

Alex Mortensen is the head football coach at UAB, hired in December 2025 after nine seasons on Nick Saban's Alabama staff. He is the son of the late ESPN NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.