Nine wins and no playoffs at a program that hasn’t seen less than ten victories since 2007? Kalen DeBoer’s seat is sizzling at six-time national champ Alabama after those head-scratching losses to Vanderbilt, Michigan, and Oklahoma last season. However, DeBoer is bracing for 2025. With Jalen Milroe gone to the NFL, the QB battle between Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell is white-hot. Is it still a three-horse race?

During the spring practices, Bama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb made this 3-man race nearly a one-man show. He laid out a bold statement on Ty Simpson going to be the week 1 starter. “At the end of the day, if we’re playing a football game tomorrow, Ty Simpson would start,” Grubb said. “He earned that…Just with some of the nuances and taking care of the football and things like that, I thought Ty showed out a little bit better,” he added. But then Kalen DeBoer clears the buzz, saying that he doesn’t “feel like they’re to the point where there’s separation.” 

However, now it feels like there’s definitely a separation point. And Tide’s reporter, Mick Gillispie, lays it out perfectly on the Cover Crimson podcast. “I think they’ll have some patience with Ty, but if he struggles, then I could see them allowing Mack to come in. If both guys struggle, I could see Russell getting a chance if it’s a really bad year. But what you hope is that Ty just takes the ball and runs with it, you know, and I think if that happens—it’s a really tough schedule—but most of those teams, Alabama should be able to beat if they’re focused.” Now, going for Simpson makes sense.

Ty Simpson has served as Alabama’s primary backup for the past two seasons behind Jalen Milroe, and out of the 3, he is the one who knows the system well. Even Kalen DeBoer’s pretty impressed with his spring game performance. “Ty has been around and just has done a nice job,” DeBoer said. “I think the trending upward is a big piece of it. Ty is an accurate thrower. There’s always gonna be balls that every guy wants back, but I think the ability to learn from your mistakes, learn from other people’s mistakes, be able to comprehend, not be overwhelmed, I think that he’s just had more time.” So, that sure makes his case strong.

Despite the likelihood of Simpson being QB1 and Mack as QB2, Kalen DeBoer isn’t ruling out Keelon Russell just yet. While Gillispie’s plan of potentially replacing Simpson later with Mack seems reasonable, it’s a drastic scenario involving two quarterback changes. Adding to the uncertainty are DeBoer’s own ambiguous statements. He stated, “We’re not where we need to be at the quarterback position yet… And so I feel like that exists within our team, to have that level be accomplished, but this is part of the process. I shared with our team that we’re not where we need to be as a team. I hope we don’t ever think that.”

Now, whoever starts this year needs to face a tricky schedule. Alabama’s 2025 season explodes onto the scene with a road opener against Florida State on August 30th—their first since 2000. The schedule reverses last year’s SEC matchups and includes three new opponents: FSU, Louisiana-Monroe, and Eastern Illinois. Despite facing two Power Five non-conference teams for the first time since 2010, their overall strength of schedule is the sixth-easiest in the SEC (.564 opponent winning percentage). Yet, oddsmakers are wary, setting their over/under at just 8.5 wins.

The biggest challenges? A trip to Georgia leads the pack, with LSU, South Carolina, and Tennessee also posing significant threats. Games at Auburn and Missouri could also prove difficult, given Alabama’s recent road woes. However, matchups against Eastern Illinois, ULM, and Vanderbilt offer some reprieve. Alabama’s 2025 schedule won’t be easy, but if DeBoer can right the ship and solve the quarterback question, they could be a force again. But that’s not the only issue Kalen DeBoer might face this season.

More pressure strikes Kalen DeBoer and Ty Simpson

Kalen DeBoer swaggered into Nick Saban’s imposing shadow, boasting a sharp offensive mind and an unblemished record. But Alabama’s four-loss season in 2024 ended their honeymoon period. On ‘On Texas Football,’ SEC Mike was blunt: “I think they are—I don’t want to call them a lock—but they should make the college football playoff. I think it’s going to be them, Texas and Georgia, that are going to be vying to win the conference this year,” Bratton stated. In Tuscaloosa, pressure isn’t gradual; it’s immediate. The margin for error? Razor thin.

DeBoer enters 2025 with a playoff berth within reach, but anything less could be disastrous. Bratton didn’t mince words: “Kalen DeBoer, you know, he came in with such an outstanding resume. Certainly got dinged last year, losing four games. I think that’s inexcusable. Even if Jalen Milroe was a largely inconsistent player, but to me, that’s on the coaching. I mean, you adapt to your players. You don’t do it the other way in college football.” DeBoer must prove he can adapt his system to his players’ talents, not the other way around.

And to be clear, Kalen DeBoer’s fate might not depend on number of losses but on how they lose. “Because if they don’t make the College Football Playoff yet again, I don’t think he’s back year three. And now, does that mean they fire him? Does that mean he goes to the NFL? I don’t know. But they won’t have him back. I mean—and nor should they,” Mike said. In short, Bama won’t wait around for Kalen DeBoer to take up the charge. And knowing DeBoer’s elite coaching record of 113-16, a playoff run is the least they can expect from him.

Meanwhile, Ty Simpson’s quiet rise to starting quarterback hasn’t exactly ignited fan enthusiasm. While the program buzzes, outside reaction is muted. “We don’t know much about him,” said Locked On Bama’s Luke Robinson. “I get the sentiment that fans aren’t super fired up about him. And I go, ‘Yeah, because we have seen him,’ you know?” Simpson’s lack of record, noticeable only after the Texas game, isn’t inspiring confidence. Alabama’s #8 ranking (On3’s Andy Staples) feels precarious, especially with four SEC teams in the top ten, leaving DeBoer with little margin for error.

A strong 2025 offense is crucial. Milroe’s inconsistent play is history, but the instability lingers. The Tide can’t afford a repeat. Coaching now emphasizes adaptability and synergy, replacing ego-driven schemes. Good news for DeBoer: his OC Ryan Grubb is back, so they’ve got that familiar connection again. Hopefully, that means some consistent play this season. We’ll just have to wait and see if it actually pans out.