Spring in Tuscaloosa was an overwhelming success for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama football. Because of that, there's plenty of optimism for the program heading into the second season under DeBoer.
Alabama escaped the spring Transfer Portal window without losing a single scholarship player, something the national media has taken notice of as the Tide's standing among the elite teams in college football has improved. Most notably, perhaps, is that fact seems to have completely changed the opinion of one of DeBoer's biggest critics from his first season at Alabama.
One Paul Finebaum joined Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic's podcast and spoke glowingly about DeBoer's ability to retain his entire roster and the reason for major optimism in Tuscaloosa for the 2025 season:
“The fact that Alabama retained its roster in the spring, to me, is one of the best examples of confidence in Kalen DeBoer,” said Finebaum.
“I think the way this spring went was significant. The schedule is a little tricky, but I think the board has to feel very good that he held on to everyone.”
Finebaum wields a lot of influence, particularly in this state, regardless of what you think about him. He has the ability to create and push narratives that get latched onto. He was one of DeBoer's biggest critics last season.
Finebaum planted the seeds of hot seat talk at the end of October last season when Alabama was sitting at 6-2.
Before spring practice started, Finebaum spoke of Alabama's spot in the college football hegemony being diminished. Finebaum loves to stoke the flames and stoke the flames he has. But even he has been impressed with the way DeBoer has handled this offseason at Alabama.
"To me, Kalen DeBoer made a few mistakes and it cost him a playoff bid (last year). I think he can correct that. I think he already knows. He already has a better staff. I think if Ryan Grubb had been there last year, Alabama would have been in the playoffs. I think he was that important."
The goodwill for Kalen DeBoer will only continue with results in the fall
While it's nice to see the media beginning to buy in to what Alabama has the potential to be in 2025, that goodwill that DeBoer is cultivating in the offseason will only last as long as the results on the field follow.
DeBoer seems to have won the offseason. But nobody cares about the offseason once the results on the field start coming in. It's playoff or bust for DeBoer in year two in Tuscaloosa. I don't believe he's on the hot seat at this point in time, and I don't believe Greg Byrne would pull the trigger on letting him go if the Tide missed the playoff once again next season. But a second straight missed playoff would undoubtedly put DeBoer squarely on the hot seat heading into year three.
Expectations are high - and often unrealistic - at Alabama. Tide fans expect to win the national championship every year. Such is the burden of following the greatest coach in the history of the sport.
Alabama has struck gold twice with Bear Bryant and Nick Saban. Because it has happened twice, they fully expect it to happen a third time.
Fans are feeling better about the program right now than they did following a disappointing end to the 2024 season. But it will only take one loss to change everything.