SEC Spring Check-In: Kalen DeBoer steps in for Nick Saban at Alabama

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•04/05/24•

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Before the Texas Longhorns officially join the Southeastern Conference on July 1, Inside Texas is going around the SEC to check in with Texas’ new conference mates for updates on the latest spring storylines, important roster notes, and much more as the Longhorns embark upon life in a new league.

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Clint Lamb, staff writer for BamaOnLine, took the time to answer a few questions about the Crimson Tide as it enters year one under Kalen DeBoer. The Longhorns do not play the Crimson Tide this year.

1. How much different will the SEC be in ’24 not only with Texas and Oklahoma joining, but also the elimination of divisions?

It’s going to look different. A lot different. There’s no such thing as the second-best team in the SEC getting left out of the conference championship game (for however long that game continues to last). We’ve mostly seen Alabama and Georgia battling it out on the first Saturday in December, but there have been times when second-best was left out due to divisions.

Competition has been taken to a whole new level, too.

Moving forward, being the fifth, sixth or even seventh-best team in the SEC will come with a lot more respect. That “middle of the pack” goal post has been bumped back a couple of spots, and I’ll be curious to see how that impacts things. Adding two perennial top-25 programs to the strongest conference in college football creates a gauntlet for almost everyone involved, but from a fan’s perspective, that creates a new level of excitement.

2. What is the spring storyline to track on offense for the Tide (transfers, star recruits, coaches coming and going, etc.)?

Probably the arrival of Kalen DeBoer from Washington and what that means for Alabama’s offense. For almost two decades under Nick Saban, this program has been run by a defensive-minded head coach. Now, the tables have turned with DeBoer joining Steve Sarkisian, Lane Kiffin, Josh Heupel and several other brilliant offensive minds in the SEC.

We know that transition is going to change how things operate in Tuscaloosa, but in what ways specifically? There’s still a lot of talent on Alabama’s roster, and DeBoer has built an offensive brain trust that includes several former play-callers and co-offensive coordinators. That collection should yield some creative game plans on Saturdays, so that’s building a lot of anticipation as fans work their way through the offseason.

3. What’s the spring storyline to track on defense for the Tide?

The transition from Saban’s defense to what Kane Wommack ran at South Alabama and everywhere else he’s been, too. In many ways, the new 4-2-5 scheme is going to have similar principles to what we saw from Saban’s defenses towards the end of his tenure despite being more traditionally known as a 3-4 guy.

The defense will include different terminology though, including how certain positions are labeled. Gone are the days of the Jack linebacker and Star defensive back. Now, it’s all about the Bandit (more of a traditional base end), Wolf (hybrid edge/off-ball linebacker), Stinger (Will linebacker), Rover (strong safety) and Husky (hybrid defensive back).

Alabama fans want to know who is playing where. We’ve started to get a pretty good idea based on what we’ve seen this spring, but A-Day will reveal a lot more as far as position labels and even usage. From there, it’s about replacing all the edge and secondary talent with big names such as Dallas Turner, Chris Braswell, Terrion Arnold, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Caleb Downs all gone.

4. Which returner from the 2023 roster was the most important for Alabama?

That’s tough, as there are several guys worth mentioning.

You saw more turnover than usual with Saban electing to retire, so there were some critical losses. That being said, convincing several key defenders — including Deontae Lawson, Jihaad Campbell, Malachi Moore and Tim Smith — to come back was huge. I’d probably have to say Moore though, as he’s the only returning starter in a secondary that’s littered with first-year players.

On offense, keeping former five-star runner Justice Haynes was critical. There’s an argument to be made for either guard in Tyler Booker and Jaeden Roberts, but I felt more uncertain about Haynes. Seeing him remain in the mix at running back could give Alabama one of college football’s top running back tandems, which can be an important complement to Jalen Milroe‘s legs and arm in DeBoer’s offense.

5. Which transfer portal addition was the most important for Alabama?

Another question with several worthy answers.

Domani Jackson‘s experience at cornerback is critical with all the other corners being either a freshman or a redshirt freshman. Keon Sabb coming over from Michigan to help replace Downs at safety is worth mentioning, as is former Washington wide receiver Germie Bernard following his coach to Tuscaloosa.

I’m going with Kadyn Proctor though. Assuming the big left tackle counts (man, this is such a wild new era of college football), I think he has to be the answer. Alabama was in desperate need of an experienced, starting-caliber tackle after seeing both starters (Proctor and JC Latham) leave following last season.

OL Kadyn Proctor
Kirby Lee | USA TODAY Sports

Former top-40 recruit Elijah Pritchett had some experience while platooning with Proctor in 2023, but that only yielded 95 snaps on the year. The other three (yes, only three) options were all freshmen last year with a combined 42 career snaps between them. That’s far from ideal for a DeBoer offense that wants to attack defenses in a variety of ways. With Proctor returning, that’s now three of the five starters back with one of the tackles having plenty of SEC experience.

6. Which class of 2024 signing was the most important for Alabama? 

An argument could probably be made for one of the defensive backs, but Ryan Williams was easily the most important get for DeBoer. This was an in-state, five-star wide receiver who still checked in as a top-10 player after reclassifying from 2025. He had been committed to Saban and the previous staff, so losing him after the news of Saban’s retirement was a significant blow.

DeBoer and company did an excellent job of selling their vision for the program, and Alabama was able to fend off multiple suitors. Considering how important wide receivers have been to this offensive system, that was a major score early in the process that proved the new regime is capable of closing elite talent. In other words, it was a “statement get” for the Crimson Tide.

7. The game Bama fans have circled on the 2024 schedule is…

Georgia. It’s always Georgia. And the fact that they’re coming to Bryant-Denny adds another wrinkle to it. The Dawgs traveled to Tuscaloosa back in 2020, but that game was played in front of a limited capacity stadium. You’d have to go all the way back to 2007 to find the last time Alabama has gotten to play UGA in front of a packed Bryant-Denny Stadium.

On top of that, this is also a good litmus test for DeBoer. Kirby Smart had a difficult time beating his former boss in Saban. Can DeBoer keep it going? We’ll find out in Week 4, but I know Alabama fans are champing at the bit waiting on Sept. 28 to roll around.

8. What are Alabama fans’ impressions of Texas?

That depends on who you ask, probably. There are plenty of Alabama fans who understand that Texas is a potential sleeping giant that’s loaded with tradition and deep pockets in a talent rich state. And with Sarkisian leading the charge, the Longhorns could be a serious problem in the near future. From my experience, there’s a lot of respect there.

There are some heavy-hitters in the SEC now with Alabama, Georgia, Texas and several others. That’s only going to make our Saturdays that much more entertaining moving forward.

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SEC Spring Check-Ins

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