Kalen DeBoer didn’t exactly set a promising tone for the start of 2025. In his second opener in Tuscaloosa, Alabama fell 17-31 against Florida State, surrendering 230 yards on the ground while the Seminoles called 49 rushing plays. Time of possession heavily tilted in favor of FSU, and the Tide’s defense looked outplayed and just a step behind a running QB who knows how to move the chains. But the concern isn’t just Mike Norvell‘s team. 

On October 2, CBS Sports CFB posted a video of Bud Elliott on Instagram going on about how Bama’s defense has a mobile QB problem. “Under Kalen DeBoer, I think they’re 0-5,” he stated. “They have not had a single even decent defensive game against an offense that really features a running quarterback.” He went on to cite the teams that Kalen DeBoer’s defense struggled against in the past, including Vanderbilt, South Carolina, LSU, Missouri, and Oklahoma. “Florida State this year, Bama’s defense looks slow and confused,” he added. And he’s not the only one noticing this gap. 

Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack acknowledged the recurring issue. “I think there’s a pattern right now of when teams are moving laterally in the one-plus quarterback system,” he said. “We saw it against Vanderbilt last year, we saw it in the first half against Oklahoma, and then it showed up this week.” In their recent losses under Kalen DeBoer, mobile QBs have consistently exploited the Tide. The Tide knows the problem, but solutions aren’t coming overnight.

Diego Pavia ran for 56 yards against Vanderbilt, Nico Iamaleava added 44 against Tennessee, Jackson Arnold gashed them for 131 yards against Oklahoma, and Florida State’s Tommy Castellanos picked up 78 yards with a touchdown. Bama’s defense has been repeatedly challenged and sometimes beaten by athletic QBs who can make plays with their legs. Those recurring defensive lapses against athletic QBs now put Alabama on notice, and the Commodores QB could be the next ready to exploit them.

Vanderbilt’s opportunity against Kalen DeBoer’s defense

Nick Saban-level preparation used to guarantee a blowout. But Joel Klatt is calling those days gone. “This is not Bama of yesteryear,” he said, dissecting the Tide’s vulnerabilities. “This is not a team that if you get their full attention, they’re going to beat you by 30. That’s not the case.” A one-dimensional attack combined with a shaky run defense gives a scrappy team like Vanderbilt a legitimate path to stay competitive this weekend. Because Diego Pavia could be the perfect storm for Alabama’s defensive headaches. 

“Diego Pavia has a bit of a Haynes King feel to him. Just a kind of a warrior. And I just don’t feel like he’s going to allow this game to get away from him,” Joel Klatt said. The Vanderbilt QB can extend plays, force the defense to make mistakes, and exploit the very holes that Bud Elliott and Kane Wommack keep talking about. Alabama’s struggles against the run have already been costly. Over 200 rushing yards surrendered to both Florida State and Georgia this season show cracks in what used to be a rock-solid front.

Mistakes in the Georgia game nearly cost them a win, and against a disciplined, mobile quarterback in Diego Pavia, those ghosts of past failures could reemerge in Tuscaloosa. Kalen DeBoer’s challenge is clear. Stop the running QBs before they write the next chapter of Alabama’s defensive woes.