Alabama Football coach Kalen DeBoer’s first season at the helm in Tuscaloosa did not go quite according to plan. DeBoer took over the program in the wake of the retirement of Coach Nick Saban, the greatest college football coach of all time and an icon in the sports world. Needless to say, DeBoer’s inaugural season came with immense amounts of pressure and scrutiny.
The Crimson Tide ultimately sputtered to a 9-4 finish in 2024. Now, pundits who have waited nearly two decades for the downfall of the Alabama Football program are projecting that the Tide will continue to recede under DeBoer.
Rather than its typical reservation in the top-5, most early preseason rankings have Alabama outside of the top-10 and some have it in the bottom half of the top-25. With some so-called experts even calling the Tide a fringe top-25 team heading into next season, there should be no shortage of motivation for the 2025 squad.
While Bama fans are not accustomed to being overlooked like this, it might be the best-case scenario for the 2025 team. We all know that even amidst the disappointment of recent years, Alabama still boasts one of the most talented rosters in the country.
Even in its one calendar year under DeBoer, Bama has continued to recruit at an elite clip, and it will take the field with a stacked lineup this fall. Despite the doubt surrounding the program, Alabama Football will enter 2025 with the ceiling to compete with anybody in the country.
Coach Kalen DeBoer and “underdog” culture
Heading into DeBoer’s second season, Bama will bring back a lot of production, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. This level of roster retention means so much more than returning production; it’s an indication of the culture in the locker room.
DeBoer has a team of players that want to play for him and for each other. This level of buy-in and commitment, regardless of what outside voices say, has been the foundation of DeBoer’s best teams at his previous stops.
Whether he was dominating at NAIA powerhouse Sioux Falls, quickly improving Fresno State’s program, or leading Washington to an improbable national championship game appearance, DeBoer’s teams have traditionally competed with a level of hunger that differentiated them from their competitors. With plenty of vocal skeptics already making their opinions known, I expect Alabama to wield that same hunger and tenacity in 2025.
Let's keep some perspective here: Alabama Football boasts the richest and proudest tradition in the history of the sport, and will never be viewed as an underdog program. The Crimson Tide is one of the most successful and recognizable brands in American sports. It is a college football blueblood and a perennial national title contender.
Still, Coach DeBoer brings an underdog mentality to Tuscaloosa. Without the pressure of lofty expectations (nor the shadow of the G.O.A.T.) hanging overhead, it will be fascinating to see what this team can accomplish this season.