A lot of folks outside of Tuscaloosa are starting to take notice of what Kalen DeBoer has brewing for year two at Alabama.
After last season's disappointing 9-4 campaign, plenty in the national media were quick to write Alabama off as a fallen dynasty and DeBoer as a coach just a year or two away from hitting the unemployment line.
But this offseason for Alabama has been hard to ignore, even for the most cynical among us. Alabama saw a significant Transfer Portal exodus in December, but the vast majority was a necessary trimming of the fat, if you will. The guys the staff wanted to retain were retained. Others were free to explore their options.
Alabama wisely added in a few areas, and now looks like a team with plenty of talent and now experienced depth, something that was lacking in a few key areas a season ago. DeBoer signed a Top 5 recruiting class for the 2025 cycle, and notably saw zero portal exits in the spring window.
Alabama has a lot of momentum heading into the 2025 season. It's something that even writers covering rival schools can't help but notice.
Atlanta Journal Constitution and Dawg Nation's Mike Griffith joined the "3 Man Front" show this week and spoke highly of the Crimson Tide, calling them National Championship contenders, and saying they are "50-50" on making the SEC Championship:
“I don’t think Alabama is a second-tier program now, I think they’re a national championship contender…”@MikeGriffith32 is an Alabama and Kalen DeBoer believer!!! 🏈⬇️@WJOX945 | @AlabamaFTBL | #RTR pic.twitter.com/ukozmDAEef
— 3 Man Front (@3ManFront) July 8, 2025
Griffith calling Alabama a "second-tier program" might ruffle some crimson-colored feathers, but in the context of last season, he's not exactly wrong, either. The Tide lost three games in the regular season and missed the College Football Playoff. That left them comfortably behind the league's legitimate title contenders in 2024 - Texas and Georgia.
Griffith his high on Alabama's potential on both sides of the football
Griffith had a lot of good things to say about Kalen DeBoer, and he comes by his thoughts on Alabama honest. If you peruse his website - dawgnation.com - he's recently ranked the top-five offenses and defenses in the SEC.
Despite Alabama breaking in a new QB, he has the Crimson Tide at No. 1 offensively. He reasons that with the Tide arguably having the best OL in the country, a senior RB in Jam Miller, and an elite crop of wide receivers led by sophomore superstar Ryan Williams.
Defensively, Griffith ranks Alabama second, behind only Georgia. He correctly points out that Alabama has talent at all three levels of the defense, along with more continuity and consistency in year two running Kane Wommack's scheme.
With Georgia not ranking in his Top 5 offenses, it's clear that Griffith believes Alabama is the most balanced team in the league.
On paper, things are looking good for DeBoer and the Crimson Tide as the season quickly approaches. But preseason optimism is not nearly enough, and the results will have to follow for the momentum to continue.