Kalen DeBoer didn’t exactly break news but still likely mollified Alabama fans in acknowledging his first year in Tuscaloosa didn’t meet expectations.
If you need a refresher, Alabama went 9-4 in DeBoer’s first season as Nick Saban’s replacement, which included losses to Vanderbilt and a 6-7 Oklahoma Sooners team. It was the worst Alabama season, on paper at least, since Saban’s first year back in 2007.
DeBoer has a naturally sunnier and more optimistic demeanor than his predecessor, but still admitted it failed the program’s standards.
“We fell short of making the Playoffs. It’s as simple as that, right?,” DeBoer said at SEC Media Days. “Giving yourself a chance to go compete for a championship. I think there’s a lot of things that I’m super proud of that have happened within the program that are part of the progression. Yeah, we want it right now, too.
“Yeah, we fell short. Our guys, again, I’m proud of them and the way they’ve responded to us not realizing the goals that we set out to have, getting back to work, focusing on the main thing.”
The main goal, as DeBoer acknowledged, has to be getting the Crimson Tide into the 12-team playoff this season. Alabama will have a new starting quarterback — likely Ty Simpson — and new offensive coordinator (Ryan Grubb), but plenty of reasons to feel bullish about its chances of improving upon last season’s disappointment. A receiver room led by Ryan Williams looks stacked, the Tide didn’t lose a single player in the spring transfer portal and the defense returns eight starters. Those returners include media day participants Deontae Lawson and Tim Keenan III.
A key will be improving on the road, where Alabama struggled mightily in 2024. All four of the Tides’ losses came away from Bryant-Denny…
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Author : John Talty
Publish date : 2025-07-16 22:08:00
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