It was never going to be possible for Kalen DeBoer to uphold the standards that Nick Saban had set at Alabama. Instead, he had to build his own culture in Tuscaloosa, and it sounds like that is finally taking shape as he heads into Year 2.
After a disappointing debut season that included players supposedly showing up to workouts late and multiple letdown losses, the pressure has been on DeBoer to take the Crimson Tide back to the College Football Playoff. That process starts with building a more disciplined and accountable team, and according to DeBoer, he has that.
‘These guys want it’ 😤🏈🐘
— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) August 25, 2025
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer speaks on the accountability and culture Tide players have going into his second season. #rolltide pic.twitter.com/PndYcH65JT
Kalen DeBoer has established his culture in Tuscaloosa for Year 2
In his first weekly press conference of the season, DeBoer spoke about accountability, saying, “There’s just a great investment that you see, and that leads to the consistency that I’m talking about.”
DeBoer elaborated on Alabama’s practice habits and how the players in their second year under his coaching staff are setting the tone for the first-year arrivals, and showing them the level that they have to get to if they want to contribute to the team. That’s powerful because it’s difficult for a coach to build the culture alone; he needs the veteran players to buy into his vision, and DeBoer seems to have that this season.
Alabama’s roster has all the talent you could want to compete for a national championship, but so do Texas and Georgia, and even LSU. The SEC will be won by the slimmest of margins, and often it comes down to coaching and culture. That’s why Nick Saban won so many conference titles, even late into his tenure with Georgia and Kirby Smart at the peak of their powers.
The Tide don’t ease into the season as they did last year with a 63-0 win over Western Kentucky. Instead, they jump into the deep end with a road trip to Tallahassee, matching up against Florida State in one of the most highly anticipated games of Week 1.
DeBoer’s squad is favored by nearly two touchdowns with the line sitting at 13.5 in the FanDuel Sportsbook early in the week. Still, traveling to a hostile environment to play a storied program always presents a challenge, so Alabama has to be ready to start the year fast, and preseason accountability doesn’t hurt that cause.