Kalen DeBoer is all set for the 2025 season. His first run in the SEC proved to be one filled with hurdles. He finished the season with 9-3 record and a 5-3 SEC record, it was the first time since 2010 without a double-digit win. Now, having found steady ground in Tuscaloosa, DeBoer is working tirelessly to improve the flaws that showed last year. However, he will also have to shoulder the responsibility of taking the Crimson Tide back to its ‘juggernaut’ status. It’s not news that Kalen DeBoer is no Nick Saban. But, even as he works on improving the future of the program, experts predict his efforts to fall flat against a key conference rival.

DeBoer barely had time to settle in his first year as Alabama’s HC. He had a rickety roster to work on and was constantly compared with his predecessor. He faltered brutally after the Georgia win, with the highlights of his season being the most upset loss to Vanderbilt, marking the Commodores’ first victory over Alabama since 1984. Their only loss in the regular season to a ranked team was against the glorious Tennessee. Unlike DeBoer, Josh Heupel finished as No. 7 in the CFP rankings and earned a spot in the playoffs. Now, however, Heupel is in the hot waters with the departure of Nico Iamaleava. Yet, experts still think he will triumph over the Alabama HC in the next three years of college football.

Clay Travis, founder of OutKick, was asked in an appearance for The Next Round who among the two coaches was going to have the most total wins in the next three years. Currently, the future of both programs looks muddled, given how the SEC and the playoffs adapt to changes. But quarterback-wise, Travis knew who had the edge. “I feel very good about the Tennessee quarterback situation,” Travis noted. Joey Aguilar comes in with heaps of experience, while Tide QB1-hopeful Ty Simpson does not. But this is about the future of both teams, which will be seeing one of these QBs going to the draft next year. That led Travis to analyze the reserve talent both programs have in place to replace them.

“They [Tennessee] got the No. 1 quarterback in America basically committed already to Heupel, and he should be enrolled in December. And then I know they really like the four and the five star that they have that are young that may end up starting before the end of this season. So I feel really good about the quarterback position. Tennessee been able to score. Recruiting has been performing at a super high level… I’ll take Tennessee over Alabama over the next three years,” Travis declared. The QB in question is Faizon Brandon, the No.1 prospect overall in the 2026 class. Existing QBs Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre are the other QB prospects, who now stand a better chance at the QB1 spot in the next season.

Alabama, on the other hand, can probably use Simpson for one more year after 2025. The only reliable option to succeed him is Keelon Russell, the No. 2-ranked QB in the 2025 class. Austin Mack is another option, too, who was a backup to Jalen Milroe along with Simpson. This is Aguilar’s last CFB appearance, and the Tennessee QBs will bet their all to fight for a spot that now seems easier to get. Though Ty Simpson is the projected winner of the race and the ultimate favorite for the QB1 role at Alabama, he couldn’t impress Clay Travis. Though his former HC, Nick Saban, still has high hopes for him.

Nick Saban is hopeful about Ty Simpson’s future in the Kalen DeBoer era

Saban recruited Simpson as a five-star prospect. But with Jalen Milroe in the picture, the QB ultimately had to take a backseat. Milroe and Simpson saw the transition that occurred in 2024 when Kalen DeBoer took over from Saban. Now that Milroe is in Seattle, Simpson has the best of both worlds. He has inputs from the veteran coach and is also being shaped by his current coach. When pitted against Mack and Russell, it’s Simpson who stands as the dominant figure, simply because of the time he’s spent in the Alabama system. Saban, too, is rooting for him to land the QB1 role.

“I think his example is a true example of development. He matured and developed for years, and now he’s going to get the opportunity, and I think his experiences are really going to help him be successful. We’re rooting for him, that’s for sure, and I have every confidence that he’ll do a great job,” Saban said at a Nick’s Kids event. Considering the way things are shaping up in Tuscaloosa, it looks like Simpson will be the eventual victor. And when he does win, he has heaps of responsibilities to shoulder as the Tide’s QB1.

Tennessee and Alabama will both face off against each other in the future. However, both teams stand a chance to upset critics with how they make use of their young talent. Can Simpson develop into a QB who, along with Kalen DeBoer, can take the Crimson Tide back to greatness? Or does Josh Heupel have it easier?

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