SECMD25: DeBoer, players confident heading into second season sans Saban
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer was upbeat during the state of the Crimson Tide speech at SEC Media Days on Wednesday. (Bill Lumpkin, III)
By BILL LUMPKIN III
ATLANTA – As the curtain opens on the second act of the Kalen DeBoer era at the University of Alabama, critics remain skeptical whether this show will have a resounding long successful run in Tuscaloosa or just a flat out bust.
Alabama players will have none of the talk, though, that the dynasty is over.
“We obviously know the tradition and history behind Alabama’s program, even before Coach (Nick) Saban,” said fifth-year senior linebacker Deontae Lawson, who was a captain on last year’s squad. “You have Coach (Gene) Stallings, Bear Bryant. We all know about upholding that standard.
“You walk in the facility and see all the guys that came before you. You see all those first-round draft picks. You see all the national championship rings. You know the standard when you walk in that building. We don’t take it lightly at all.”
The question heading into 2025 is whether or not last year was an aberration or the beginning of a decline after Saban led Alabama to six national championships and a dominance not seen in the modern college football era.
“I’m so Roll Tide,” said fifth-year defensive lineman Tim Keenan III of Birmingham. “I’m so Alabama. I talk to God all the time to make sure I’m leading the right way and I’m guiding the boys in the right way.
“We just need to return to our overall dominance. We need to just play not past the whistle but play to the whistle. Time to give out some overall beatings and winning the whole game. We need every man to the next man to play the best we can and as hard as we can.”
The Tide finished 9-4 last year, its first non-10-win season since Saban’s first season in 2007. It also lost two huge games on the road at Vanderbilt and at Oklahoma and more than double-digit favorites, missing the playoffs and finishing sixth in the SEC.
“If you are asking internally, yes we fell short of making the playoffs and it’s as simple as that,” DeBoer said. “We didn’t give ourselves a chance to go compete for a championship.
“Sometimes there are ups and downs you have to go through. Unfortunately, we had that experience. But in the end, we’re going to take advantage of those failures and be better because of it.”
Alabama opens the season at Florida State, Quarterback Thomas Castellanos, a Boston College transfer, made waves this offseason with his comment about how they don’t have Nick Saban save them or this version of the Crimson Tide couldn't him.
Lawson, who returned this season after a devastating knee injury sidelined him in the Oklahoma game, said maybe it ignites his teammates a little bit.
“I’m fired up, but I’m fired up just because I have the opportunity to come back and play for one more season,” Lawson said. “It’s a little motivation during the offseason, but I wouldn’t say extra motivation. It’s in the back of your mind, but I’ll just be ready to go out there and play ball. None of that talk matters.”
DeBoer got off to a successful start in his first season, climbing to No. 1 after a thrilling 41-34 victory over defending national champion Georgia in his SEC opener under the lights at Bryant-Denny Stadium at Saban Field.
But the wheels came off the following week in a 40-35 stunning upset on the road at Vanderbilt, the Commodores first-ever win over a Top 5 opponent and their first win over the Tide in four decades.
The rollercoaster season of emotions continued the rest of the season.
A 24-17 loss at Tennessee, was followed by huge wins over Missouri (34-0) and at LSU (42-13), before the bottom fell out on a road trip to Norman where a 5-5 Sooners team held Alabama without a touchdown in a 24-3 rout, knocking the Tide out of the college football playoff picture.
The Tide would rebound to knock off Auburn 28-14, before another embarrassing loss in the bowl game to a Michigan squad depleted by opt outs on its roster.
“I would just say Coach DeBoer feels more comfortable,” said Tide offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, considered by most to be a Top 5 NFL prospect. “It’s hard coming into the SEC as a first-year head coach. I mean that’s stressful for sure.”
How the Tide rolls in 2025 is as simple as the quarterback position
Alabama must replace departed quarterback Jalen Milroe, who was drafted in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks and now has a quarterback room with a combined 42 pass attempts.
Milroe threw for 6,016 yards and 45 touchdowns and rushed for 1,577 yards and 33 touchdowns over his Crimson career.
Ty Simpson, who has been in the program four years, appears to be the next man up. He played in only two games last year and didn’t attempt a pass. He’s played in 10 games in his career, completing 24 of 39 passes for 310 yards without a touchdown or interception. He’s rushed for 182 yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns.
“We did make it known at the end of spring if we played a game at that point and it wouldn’t have changed at this point. Ty Simpson would be the guy that would take the first snaps and be the starter," DeBoer said.
The Tide players also have a strong belief in Simpson.
““He’s just waited in line and where he probably could have left and played somewhere else,” Lawson said. “He’s just sat back and waited his turn. It shows an extremely amount of resiliency. I’m just super proud of him. He’s waited his turn and now he’s ready when his number is going to be called.”
Besides Simpson, both Austin Mack and incoming freshman Keelon Russell will figure in the mix in the Tide quarterback room.
Mack, the 6-foot-6, 235-pound sophomore, played in one game last year, completing 2 of 3 passes for 39 yards and a touchdown.
Russell, the No. 2 ranked quarterback in the Class of 2025, threw for a combined 7,680 yards and 93 touchdowns with only seven interceptions over his junior and senior seasons at Duncanville High School in Texas.
“All three of them have the tools,” DeBoer said. “Now, we’re just trying to put them in those moments as much as possible where the lack of experience, maybe from a game situational standpoint, is able to come out and practice and help them feel more prepared.”
One huge plus is DeBoer will be reunited with his longtime assistant Ryan Grubb, who was hired as the offensive coordinator after spending last year as the offensive coordinator of the NFL Seattle Seahawks.
“He’s somebody I’ve known for 12 or 13 years,” DeBoer said. “It certainly helps us even more to gain momentum going into this fall. He’s hit the ground running and added some things he’s learned over the years.
“We just have to learn from the mistakes we’ve made in the past. You want year two to be moments of growth where you polish and clean things up. It comes down to those big moments where you build a culture where you’re going to be fighting until the very end.”