Kalen DeBoer dishes on his Alabama recruiting approach, how he's utilizing the transfer portal

Kalen DeBoer has had to balance a lot since taking over as Alabama coach, including the transfer portal and recruiting. Any time there is a coaching change, players are sure to leave the program, and the Crimson Tide have been no exception.

Several key pieces from the 2023 team have already entered their name in the portal such as Caleb Downs, Kadyn Proctor and Isaiah Bond. However, DeBoer joined the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday to explain that he’s proud of the players he’s convinced to stay.

“First and foremost, you want to make sure the guys are committed and that you’re understanding and evaluating them,” the coach said. “I think the biggest recruiting or the best recruiting we’ve done is still our current roster. There’s not really portal guys because the portal window has closed other than those that have coaching changes. So we’ve had to recruit our own roster and we’re very proud of that.”

DeBoer has also brought in his fair share of transfer players this offseason. That includes three players who followed him from Washington in receiver Germie Bernard, quarterback Austin Mack and offensive lineman Parker Brailsford.

DeBoer led the Huskies to a 14-1 record and appearance in the national title game this past season. That being the case, there’s clearly plenty of talent he can bring with him to Tuscaloosa. That includes cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, the No. 13 overall player in On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings, who is still undecided.

DeBoer went on to say that his main focus is keeping the players currently on the roster at Alabama. However, if the opportunity arises, he will gladly welcome former Washington players who want to join him.

“The nucleus and the core are gonna be the guys that are here,” DeBoer said. “I experienced that just two years ago. We kept the nucleus and core for the most part together and that’s the heart and soul of your team. Then additions that you get a chance to bring in. I want nothing but the places I’ve invested a lot of time in to be successful in the future. That’s Washington, Fresno State. Those places are special places. You want to be part of the legacy looking back that you continue to build on. The people after you, they may be even better than when you were there.

“There was a few guys in the portal that if they’re gonna go anywhere other than Washington, I certainly want to have them here because I trust and believe in them. Not just as players, but as people. So we’ve had a few of those situations here in the last week.”

As the offseason continues to march on, don’t expect this to be the last you see out of Alabama in the portal. A lot of the expectations for next season will be determined by what happens over the next couple of weeks, so we’ll see how it works out for DeBoer.