Alabama football makes a big move in post-spring way-too-early Top 25

It was a successful spring for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama football. With quite a few injuries carried over from last season, the Crimson Tide was able to get reps for younger players who needed to develop to improve the team's depth. There was at least some clarity in the QB competition, with Ty Simpson currently leading the way.

Most importantly, however, Alabama didn't lose a single scholarship player in the spring Transfer Portal window. That's something that many in the media have taken notice of. It's a strong indication in a cultural shift in Tuscaloosa under Kalen DeBoer. He's got his team, his players, and his coaches in place and the buy-in appears to be high.

On paper, this team looks impressive. There's talent at every position. If Simpson or one of the others in the QB competition can play above-average football, this team is a national title contender. Alabama is loaded at RB and WR, has a good offensive line (albeit a bit thin at tackle), and has a defense littered with returning talent from a unit that finished in the Top 10 a year ago.

Perhaps most importantly, there's coaching continuity in Tuscaloosa that obviously wasn't there a year ago as Alabama transitioned from Nick Saban to DeBoer.

Folks in the national media are beginning to take notice. Following the official end of last season, Andy Staples and On3 had Alabama ranked No. 14 in their way-too-early Top 25. On Monday, Staples released a revised Top 25 to commemorate the end of the spring portal window. Alabama jumped to No. 7:

Alabama sits at No. 7, which is good for 2nd in the SEC behind No. 1 Texas. The Longhorns are widely expected to be the National Championship favorites next season with Arch Manning stepping in at QB.

A big season on the horizon for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama

There's no denying that Kalen DeBoer's first season as the Alabama head coach was a disappointment. Perhaps expectations were too high, but that comes with the territory in Tuscaloosa, especially when you are replacing the greatest coach in the history of the sport.

A 9-4 finish and missing the expanded College Football Playoff was simply not good enough. A repeat of that in 2025 would be bad news for DeBoer. It would also be a surprise.

This Alabama team has the talent to be a legitimate threat to win the SEC and National Championship. In the very least, a playoff bid should be the baseline expectation for this team. A lot will come down to QB play, but odds seem good that one of the three talented options will be able to effectively run DeBoer and Ryan Grubb's offense.

A repeat of last season would likely crank up the hot seat rumors for DeBoer. But if he can make the Tide a legitimate national title contender in year two, the narrative will turn, and Alabama fans will finally accept that he was the right man for the job.