After a relatively disappointing first season under head coach Kalen DeBoer, Alabama Football hopes to be much improved heading into 2025. The Tide finished the season 9-4, missing both the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff before losing as a two-touchdown favorite in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
For a program that has established itself as a perennial title contender, these results are not good enough. Ideally, Coach DeBoer will enter next season comfortable and confident, boasting a roster that better fits his scheme and philosophy.
If the early offseason moves are any indication, Coach DeBoer and the Tide can be expected to make a return to playing complementary football next fall.
Bama’s greatest struggle in 2024 was consistency. With no discernible identity to lean on, its performances were often erratic and unpredictable. Next year, I expect Alabama to rely heavily on its defense and running game, especially early in the season.
The 2025 offense should feature a better distributor at the quarterback position, whether that is Ty Simpson, Keelon Russell, or someone else. I think the offense will be a little less QB-centric early on, establishing the traditional ground game and taking some pressure off the Tide’s signal-caller.
With returning veterans Jam Miller and Richard Young, Alabama should have a bruising running back duo that can carry heavy loads when necessary. The transfer portal signing of Dre Washington added experienced depth in the backfield and perhaps hinted that the Tide will lean fairly heavily on its stable of backs next fall.
Additionally, the Alabama defense should be improved. Bama re-invested heavily into its defense, bringing back several key contributors and adding enticing transfer pieces at all three levels of the unit.
The 2024 defense under Kane Wommack was already pretty good. It was a top-10 scoring defense nationally and was very proficient at causing havoc and forcing takeaways. The group kept several games competitive despite constantly playing on short fields due to turnovers.
The 2025 unit can be even better. It has the potential to be one of the nation’s best, and can carry this Alabama Football team while the quarterback situation develops.
All of the best teams in college football this season relied on elite defensive play as their cornerstone. Alabama will look to follow that template in 2025. If it can get dependable quarterback play and fewer turnovers, this team will be tough to beat.