Throughout last season, there was a ton of noise surrounding Kalen DeBoer's future at Alabama.
From reports of unhappy boosters in the aftermath of Alabama's stunning season-opening loss to Florida State, to reports of DeBoer's interest in "finding an off-ramp" mid-season when the Penn State job was opening. That noise became deafening in the lead-up to the College Football Playoff when the Michigan job surprisingly came open, and DeBoer was immediately linked to it as a candidate.
After Alabama fell behind to Oklahoma 17-0 in the opening round of the playoff, it appeared a split was inevitable. But the Crimson Tide rallied from that deficit to beat the Sooners on the road, and all the speculation was finally put to bed.
But in the typical topsy-turvy relationship between Alabama fans and DeBoer, an embarrassing Rose Bowl performance followed that called into question once again whether he's the right guy to lead Alabama forward.
Year three will be pivotal for DeBoer. Saying he's on the hot seat might be a stretch, but there's always a thin line for the Crimson Tide head coach and that spot, and one loss could be all it takes to reignite the flame.
To DeBoer's credit, he's entering the 2026 season with the right mindset, and he set the record straight on the end of last season and the rampant speculation that he might be looking for a way out of Tuscaloosa after just two years:
"I didn't come here to follow Coach Saban only to turn around after two years and go somewhere else," DeBoer said to On3's Chris Low. "I mean, this is Alabama."
Kalen DeBoer is entering a pivotal third season at Alabama
It won't take much for speculation to pop back up about DeBoer's future. Alabama is generally ranked outside the Top 10 in way-too-early Top 25 polls, with many experts considering the Crimson Tide a fringe playoff team as they embark on a near-total offensive overhaul from last season.
Missing the playoff in year three, marking a second time in three seasons as the Alabama coach, would not be a good look for DeBoer. Most Tide fans remain on the fence about whether DeBoer is the right coach or not, and he won't win anyone over if Alabama isn't in national title contention in 2026.
That's the standard in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer knows it. It's part of what drove him to take this job. The expectations are always high. But so are the resources.
He has everything he needs to win and win big. And this offseason has been spent flipping and remaking the roster in his own image. For better or worse, this is now DeBoer's program with very few Nick Saban recruits remaining on the roster.
There's no more "square peg and round hole" excuses. This is DeBoer's team and DeBoer's program.
How the 2026 season goes is likely to determine his future at Alabama.