The Alabama head coach, Kalen DeBoer, is on a recruiting frenzy run. Over the last few days, the head honcho hired two offensive assistant coaches in Derrick Nix (wide receivers) and Adrian Klemm (offensive line). Now, he’s on the verge of hiring a third tight end, Richard Owens from Louisville.

On February 11, Alabama insider and senior writer Charlie Potter hopped onto his X handle and gave the insider’s tip:

“Alabama is expected to hire Richard Owens as its next tight ends coach, sources told BamaOnLine. Owens coached Louisville’s O-line from 2023-25, but he has plenty of experience with tight ends and played the position both in college and in the NFL.”

According to reports, Alabama made an internal reshuffle. The program promoted former tight ends coach Bryan Ellis to quarterbacks coach. That move led Alabama to hire former Louisville O-line coach Owens to fill the vacancy. He is coming over from Louisville, where he’s been handling the offensive line for the last few seasons.

Even though he’s been concentrating on the linemen up front lately, he’s no alien to the tight end position, as he actually played it at a high level himself.

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Before he started roaming the sidelines as a coach, Owens was a standout tight end at Louisville. After going undrafted in 2004, he played 53 games over five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, and New York Jets. Notably, he was also named a special teams captain for the Vikings in 2005.

Since he’s been right there in the trenches, playing at the highest level, and carrying that NFL pedigree, he naturally earns the respect of a player-coach. That clarifies why he has blossomed everywhere, from Arkansas and UAB to South Alabama and Georgia Southern, and most recently, the city of Louisville. Betting on that, you can expect him to aid Ryan Grubb’s complex offense.

A key reason for this hire is Owens’s existing chemistry with Alabama staff, having worked with Bryan Ellis and Kane Wommack at UAB and South Alabama. Their shared football language suggests rapid adjustment.

In terms of what he brings to the field, Owens is a bit of a “technique geek.” As he coached both offensive line and tight ends, he’s the perfect guy to aid Alabama’s tight ends in becoming better blockers.

In a tough conference like the SEC, having tight ends who can effectively seal the edge in the run game helps. It’s crucial to have guys who can bring home touchdowns. More importantly, he’s also got an excellent eye for talent and has developed some serious names you might recognize. He coached Gerald Everett at South Alabama, who went on to be a second-round NFL pick, and he worked with DJ Williams, who won the Mackey Award (given to the best tight end in college football) at Arkansas.

Overall, this hire pretty much completes the puzzle for DeBoer’s inaugural staff at Alabama. With spring right around the corner, getting an experienced vet like Owens is like an absolute blue-collar hire. With tight ends on the bag, Kalen DeBoer expects better ROI (Return on Investment) with OL hire.

Kalen DeBoer’s expectations for the O-line coach

Alabama has hired a new offensive line coach named Adrian Klemm. It came after the team let go of their old coach, Chris Kapilovic. Head coach Kalen DeBoer wanted to make a significant change because four of the five starting offensive linemen are gone. Yes, a redemption arc is what they wanted. So DeBoer went out and brought the best candidate for the job.

“Adrian Klemm has a reputation for recruiting and developing players at every level,” said DeBoer. “Having worked with some of the top offensive lines in his 15-plus years of coaching. He has a deep knowledge and passion for the game, and I know that he will have an immediate impact on our program. We look forward to having him on staff.”

Klemm has extensive experience in both college football and the NFL. He has coached at schools like Oregon (finished 1st in sacks allowed in 2022), Pittsburgh, UCLA, and SMU, and he also worked with the New England Patriots. Most recently, he was an offensive analyst at USC. Kalen DeBoer’s obviously betting his future on Klemm to get the O-line back in check after their humiliating 2025 season.

The Crimson Tide averaged only 104 rushing yards per game, which ranked 15th in the SEC, and gained just 3.35 yards per carry. The front office hopes he can help Alabama improve its run game and protect the quarterback so they can compete for their natty, especially for Kalen DeBoer’s job’s sake.