Tyler Booker encourages Alabama fans to 'stay excited' for 2024 season

Tyler Booker said the news of Nick Saban retiring and a new coach coming in was “just another day at the office” for him. The junior offensive lineman said having four different head coaches in high school helped prepare him for the change in power at Alabama.

“I’m just excited to adapt to a new culture now and maintain the one we have,” said Booker in an appearance on The Next Round on Monday morning.

Booker has been one of the Crimson Tide’s most outspoken players – in general but also since Saban announced his retirement on Jan. 10 and Kalen DeBoer was hired as his replacement at Alabama two days later. A leader on the offensive line last year, Booker has been one of the team’s top leaders and has tried to rally the troops around the new coach.

“We are seven points away from being where we need to be,” Booker said. “And we have the guy and the coaching staff that got where we wanted to be, you know what I mean? We’re so close. That’s just what I’m preaching to everybody and that’s what we really told each other, and that’s why it was so easy for me to stay.

“Like, ‘Look guys, we’re only seven points away, and we’re only going to get better. We’re a young team and we’re still going to continue to develop.’”

Booker continued, “This offense we’re going to inherit from Coach DeBoer is something very different from the SEC, the typical SEC offense. I’m excited to go out and take the field with him and do some new things out there.”

Booker said other coaching staffs know “not to hit me up” because of his loyalty to the Crimson Tide program, but since Saban retired, 10 of his now-former teammates chose to enter the NCAA transfer portal thanks to the 30-day window after a coaching change. 

What is his message to Alabama fans who are struggling with so many players leaving?

“It’s really a next-man-up mentality,” Booker said. “You come to Alabama to really get developed and really take advantage of the opportunity that’s being presented to you. There’s a lot of opportunity on the table right now. We have guys capable of stepping up and stepping into those spots and taking advantage of their opportunity. So that’s one. We have the talent in-house.

“But obviously the portal works both ways. Once it opens up in the spring, we’ll be able to add more additions if need be. But I feel like we have everything in-house that we need to go on another national championship run. Everything is going to work out, so just stay excited for the season because we definitely are.”

Booker did say he was a little surprised by some of the players who chose to transfer.

“We wish them the best, we wish them nothing but success,” Booker said. “But it’s on to the next. They didn’t want to be here. They think they have better opportunities elsewhere, and that’s a day and age we’re in when it comes to college football to take advantage of the opportunity presented. Of course, we wanted you here, but you got to do what’s best for you, and we’ll do what’s best for us.”

Since being introduced as Alabama’s new head coach, DeBoer has praised the team leaders for “sticking together” during the changes. He has even asked the players’ opinions of what doesn’t need to change – like retaining director of sports performance David Ballou – to help to maintain the culture that Saban created that led to six national titles in 17 seasons.

“The thing that I really like about Coach DeBoer is he was like, ‘What made y’all successful?’” Booker said. “‘What do we need to keep? What is a tradition piece, what is a culture piece that we need to keep? Because we want to keep things similar but we also want to add some changes, as well.’ But Coach DeBoer has been really receptive to the feedback we’ve given him about some things that are in place here that need to stay in place.”

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