Nick Saban's appearance in Tuscaloosa during Alabama's final official visit weekend of the summer, followed by the recent flurry of commitments, has resentful fans of rival programs convinced that Saban remains the secret sauce in the Alabama formula.
They conveniently ignore that Saban's recent trip to the Capstone was the first time he had been on campus for an official visit weekend since he retired as the Tide's coach. They also ignore that the reason, at least partially, was so DeBoer and most of the coaching staff could sneak out that Saturday to attend the funeral of Keelon Russell's sister in Mississippi.
They want to believe that Alabama can only be Alabama because of Saban. They wanted to believe that the Crimson Tide's dominance was over. They convinced themselves that a southern outsider like DeBoer couldn't possibly recruit in the south with the SEC heavyweights.
Because the truth is harder to accept. And nobody wants to admit when they are wrong.
The truth is, Alabama was Alabama before Saban. He brought the program to another stratosphere, but an argument could have been made even before his arrival that the best college football program of all time resided in Tuscaloosa. And the truth is, Alabama will remain Alabama post-Saban, regardless of the blimp on the radar that was last season's 9-4 campaign.
DeBoer proved he could recruit last year, bringing in a top-five recruiting class. He is proving it again this year, with a big run in late June catapulting the Crimson Tide into the Top 10, with plenty of meat left on the bone. Alabama has three five-star commits in this class, with the potential for three more.
Rival fans do have one thing right, though. DeBoer does have a secret weapon on the recruiting trail. It's just not Nick Saban. It's General Manager Courtney Morgan.
Courtney Morgan and Kalen DeBoer form a dynamic recruiting duo
The most important person DeBoer brought with him from Washington to Alabama a year ago when he took this job was Courtney Morgan, a former Michigan player and now one of the best recruiting, scouting, and relationship-building minds in college sports.
Morgan was the secret sauce in building College Football Playoff teams for both Michigan and Washington. He's now the General Manager of the Crimson Tide, and his fingerprints are all over Alabama's roster.
Morgan has done a brilliant job building relationships in the south immediately. In just one year's time, Morgan has helped Alabama go from not signing any of the ten best recruits in the state in the 2025 cycle to a realistic shot at signing the top three in 2026.
DeBoer and Morgan form a formidable duo. Saban is around and still loves the University of Alabama. But his assistance is rare and not usually needed. Of course, why wouldn't you take advantage of having the greatest coach - and the greatest recruiter - in the history of the sport at your disposal?
But the masses have it wrong. Maybe Saban made the first pass, introducing DeBoer and Morgan to the right people and the right high school coaches in the state. But it's Morgan throwing the perfectly placed alley-oops up to DeBoer and it's DeBoer who is then slamming it through the hoop.