Well, Alabama finished 9-4 in Kalen DeBoer’s debut season. Not a disaster, but not a masterpiece either. And the most interesting thing, every loss came on the road. Remember, last year, the Crimson Tide fell to Vols, Vanderbilt, and Oklahoma away from Bryant-Denny. And the final defeat came in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, against Michigan. So, the road woes were clear. And now, DeBoer is all about fixing that. Given that, his focus for Year Two? Winning away from home. Here’s the scoop.

Alabama already knows the road is where it stumbles. Following that, on August 25, Bama insider Blake Byler shared a tweet highlighting Kalen DeBoer’s focus for 2025. “Starting fast. You’ve got to start fast,” said DeBoer on Monday. “You dig yourself a hole on the road, it gets hard, the crowd gets behind the home team. It comes down to execution, to preparation, and the work happening on the football field (Tuesday), Wednesday, and Thursday. So it’s the same old thing.” Looks like for DeBoer, the formula is simple: prep, focus, and execute. In short, win away from home, and the Tide rides stronger. Here, Kalen DeBoer is all about momentum.

He wants Alabama to hit the gas early and set the tone. “Starting fast and giving yourself — not that you don’t have the belief — but (reaching) another level of momentum. As much as anything, taking it away from them, especially in an environment that we know will be a good one down there in Tallahassee,” added DeBoer. So, the message is clear: own the pace, steal the crowd’s energy, and make the road feel like home. Here’s DeBoer on their first road test.

Here’s the thing: Alabama opens 2025 on the road against FSU; the Tide’s first true season opener away from home since 2000, when they fell to UCLA 35-24 in Pasadena. Now, for Kalen DeBoer, it’s uncharted territory as a Division I HC. Every season he’s led Fresno State or Washington, the opener was at home. Even last year at Alabama, the Tide started at Bryant-Denny. So, previewing this year’s matchup on Monday, DeBoer said, “I think you just go back to any big road games you play. And this one, being the first game of the season, the first one is always big. It’s always big because it’s the next one. Then I think getting the season off to a good start, that’s important; that makes it big.” And big games bring big urgency.

Kalen DeBoer says it sets the tone for fall camp. “I think what it does is it gives you an urgency in fall camp, playing big games like this. It’s kept the focus of fall camp at a high level. You’ve got to be at your best because you know your opponent is.” Then came the confidence. “We know they’ve got a lot they want to prove. They want to open up their season in a big way, so I think the guys have done a great job of just focusing on us, on what we can control, being in the moment. I know these are cliches, but I think these guys have really done a good job,” remarked the Bama HC. So, DeBoer’s message is simple: stay sharp, stay present, and rise to the challenge. Now, while the path for the road game is clear, DeBoer’s chosen starter is questionable for Week 1 against FSU.

Kalen DeBoer’s worry heading into the road opener

Alabama may be without a key piece up front when it opens against FSU. But why? On Monday, HC Kalen DeBoer said starting right guard Jaeden Roberts is still questionable. Yes, the fifth-year senior has been sidelined with a concussion and is working through NCAA protocol. “Jaeden Roberts is still a question, with what he’s going through in (concussion) protocol. He’s progressing,” DeBoer told reporters. Now, with Jaeden Roberts sidelined, Alabama will likely lean on senior Geno VanDeMark.

The veteran appeared in all 13 games last season and proved his versatility. “We threw him out there for a couple series a game last year,” said DeBoer to ESPN. “And he did a great job. We’ve referred to him as a Swiss army knife guy, so he’s really valuable to us. So you feel like you don’t skip a beat, and he was competing for [a starting spot] in the first place.” But that’s not all.

Alabama’s backfield has taken a hit. RB Jamarion Miller will miss the first stretch of the 2025 season after suffering a dislocated collarbone in the Tide’s 2nd scrimmage. But don’t worry; the junior is expected to return in time for the SEC opener against Georgia. Now, with a few question marks, we’ll see how DeBoer’s team handles the season opener.