Head football coach Kalen DeBoer of Alabama isn’t going to back down from the standards set for his team.
In an interview with Andy Staples of On3, he stated, “The tradition will continue,” on the Crimson Tide’s future following the retirement of the famous Nick Saban at the 16:30 mark.
Maintaining the legacy of what Saban constructed would be a significant feat.
After all, for his 17 years as the Crimson Tide’s head coach, he was the face of college football. During that time, he won six national titles, finished with a 206-29 record, and won double digits in all except the first of his seasons.
Throughout the BCS and College Football Playoff eras, Nick Saban’s Alabama team was unstoppable in recruiting, on the field, and in trophy cases.
Although DeBoer still has a ways to go before he can play that kind of role, throughout his two seasons as Washington’s head coach, he showed promise. In 2022, the Huskies finished 11-2 and won the Alamo Bowl. In 2023, they went 14-1, won the Pac-12 championship, and qualified for the CFP national title game.
Since Washington isn’t exactly Alabama’s equal, doing that in such a short amount of time suggests he might have some success with the Crimson Tide.
Beginning with the recruiting trail, Alabama signed the second-best class overall for the 2024 cycle, according to 247Sports’ aggregate rankings. It has enough time until signing day to add elite talent, as it presently boasts the seventh-best overall class in 2025.
Despite losing elite players to the transfer portal upon Nick Saban’s retirement, including Julian Sayin, Isaiah Bond, and Caleb Downs, Alabama should still have a strong squad in 2024 and should be a strong contender for the 12-team CFP.
Tests in September against Georgia and Wisconsin should give an indication of DeBoer’s team’s potential, but he is prepared to keep the Crimson Tide at the top.
