Kalen DeBoer breaks down where Alabama's tight end room stands after injuries

The tight end room was targeted heavily in the first year of the Kalen DeBoer era at Alabama last season, as two of four receiving yards leaders played at the tight end position. This included tight end CJ Dippre (256 yards) and tight end Josh Cuevas (218 yards), who emerged as valuable pass catchers for quarterback Jalen Milroe.

This strong play from the tight end room is set to continue this year, as the Crimson Tide boast 11 different tight ends on their roster. Cuevas and redshirt-junior Danny Lewis are expected to be the top two options at the position this season for quarterback Ty Simpson, who is embarking on his first campaign as the starter.

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer gave an update on the tight end room and their health during a media opportunity on Wednesday.

“It will continue to get better and better,” DeBoer said. “It’s in a good spot. This was gonna be how it was when the injuries happened. [Josh] Cuevas is gonna continue to add volume, I think that’s the best word to use, because he’s practicing. Danny Lewis is the same way. They’re adding volume. The number of reps from start to finish because it’s not just team or individual, but they’ve had a really good summer. Their progress is as we had hoped and expected.”

DeBoer is excited about the number of tight ends on roster

“And the rest of the guys, Marshall [Prickett] you know didn’t practice at the end of the spring with what he had. Couple of other guys too are all full go. We’ve got more tight ends out there now than we could have ever imagined. But they’re all competing and working together to do a big job.”

Simpson will need all the help he can get, as he has attempted just 50 passes for 381 yards in three seasons at Alabama. He was a five-star recruit (ranked No. 25 overall his class) coming out of Westview (Martin, TN) in 2022.

“My thoughts on Ty Simpson are very high,” ESPN college football personality Paul Finebaum said on Wednesday. “I’m really excited to see him play. I think he’s got experience and I think he’s got a pedigree. I think he has a lot of real life under center experience and I think it matters.”

Alabama and its very experienced tight end room open the 2025 season at Florida State on Aug. 30. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:30 PM on ABC.