Kalen DeBoer and Alabama totally disrespected by On3's way-too-early CFB Top 25

Despite winning 11 games, one of which was in the College Football Playoff, there doesn't seem to be much optimism surrounding Alabama going into Kalen DeBoer's third season at the helm in Tuscaloosa.

A 35-point loss to Indiana has a lot to do with it, though the Hoosiers followed that up with a 34-point win over Oregon, and pundits seem confident in Dan Lanning's Ducks being one of the best teams in the country next season.

Alabama took some losses to the NFL and the Transfer Portal, but after a shaky start in the portal, DeBoer and GM Courtney Morgan rebounded with some impressive additions for next season's roster.

But with Ty Simpson off to the NFL and Alabama breaking in a first-time starter at QB, pundits seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach on the Crimson Tide. That's fine, but fresh off a playoff bid, it's a bit disrespectful to see where On3 placed Alabama in their way-too-early Top 25 for 2026:

On3 has Alabama at No. 17 in way-too-early Top 25 for 2026

At No. 17, Alabama is the 7th best SEC team according ot On3, and that ranking would keep them on the outside of the projected playoff field. That means the folks who compiled these rankings view the Crimson Tide as an eight or nine-win team next season.

Seeing teams like Oklahoma, Michigan, LSU, BYU, Penn State, Ole Miss, and Utah ahead of Alabama in the projected Top 25 can best be described as laughable. They all have their own issues, but those are ignored to a greater degree than Alabama's.

Why?

Simple answer, really. The media continues to fantasize about Alabama's complete and total downfall. They've been doing it for a long time, and unfortunately, there've been enough chinks in the armor through DeBoer's two seasons that make it an easier sell.

But it's too quickly forgotten that Alabama hauled in back-to-back Top 5 recruiting classes, and only lost one player from the heralded 2025 class to the Transfer Portal.

If Austin Mack or Keelon Russell end up being high-end options at QB - and odds seem solid that one of them will be - then this Crimson Tide team seems like a good bet to prove the naysayers wrong. Again.

If that's the case, then the national media will have to wait another year to write thinkpieces about the fall of Alabama football.