Jaeden Roberts reaffirms status with Alabama after Kalen DeBoer hiring
The Alabama Crimson Tide have seen a mass exodus in the transfer portal following the retirement of Nick Saban. But on Wednesday evening, they got some good news from two offensive linemen. Then, later on Wednesday evening, they got yet another offensive lineman that announced his return next season. Alabama offensive lineman Jaeden Roberts reaffirmed his commitment with the team for the 2024 campaign.
In the 2023 season, Roberts played in 11 games for the Tide, with eight starts entering the postseason. In 2022, he played in three games, Vanderbilt, Austin Peay, and Kansas State. In 2021, Roberts did not see any playing time, redshirting.
In the 2021 cycle, he was rated as the No. 266 overall player in the country and a four-star prospect, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He played his high school football for North Shore (Houston, Texas).
Inside Kalen DeBoer’s resume, tall task he’s facing as he replaces Nick Saban at Alabama
DeBoer’s resume is impressive. Over his nine years as a head coach — four at NAIA Sioux Falls from 2005-09, two at Fresno State from 2020-21 and two at Washington from 2022-23 — he has a 104-12 career record. That includes a 25-3 record with the Huskies, and he took the program to its first-ever national championship game, where they fell to Michigan Monday night in Houston.
DeBoer is also known as an impressive offensive mind, spending most of his career as an offensive coordinator before becoming a head coach. Now, he’s gearing up to replace Saban — which he noted in his statement.
“I have always had an incredible respect for Alabama football and its commitment to excellence,” DeBoer said. “The tradition-rich history of this program is unmatched across the landscape of college athletics, and I look forward to continuing that moving forward. Following Coach Saban is an honor. He has been the standard for college football, and his success is unprecedented. I would not have left Washington for just any school. The chance to lead the football program at The University of Alabama is the opportunity of a lifetime.
“My family and I feel truly blessed and look forward to becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. I want to thank Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, President Stuart R. Bell, Chancellor Finis St. John and The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their belief in me to lead this program.”
Saban spent 17 years at Alabama, leading the Crimson Tide to six national championships and winning 201 games during that time. In addition to his trophies, he developed an extensive coaching tree, featuring plenty of big-name coaches such as Texas’ Steve Sarkisian and Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, among many others.
On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this article.