Is Alabama finally on the way to reclaim its lost glory under Kalen DeBoer? He was handed a skeleton team due to Nick Saban’s departure in 2023. Around 30 players dipped into the portal, thinking Bama would be a different program under a new HC. And DeBoer did not have it easy, finishing with a 9-4 score and a Bowl loss in his debut year. But it looks like the second time might be the charm for the HC. “Be careful what you ask for. The grass is definitely not greener on the other side,” DeBoer told his guys before the portal opened. And after it closed? A major SEC victory lay in store for him.

Transfer portals have wreaked havoc in college football. There’s no other way to say that. Players are leaving programs because of better NIL deals elsewhere, or if their current position in the depth seems unlikely for advancement in their current homes. What’s worrying is the complete absence of control for the HCs. It doesn’t matter if you’re a veteran coach, with someone who’s produced results. Players will jump ship if they’re inclined to a better pasture, like Carson Beck did. Then there’s the whole Nico Iamaleava fiasco, which will go down as a proper case study in NILs and transfer portals.

Alabama, on the other hand, scored an achievement in the portal that no one in the SEC has. It’s impressive that DeBoer, now in better shape to run Bama football, managed to do this in his second season. No scholarship player from the program entered the transfer portal in the spring. Which says a lot about a changing culture within Crimson Tide under DeBoer. But how is this going to translate into games? Insider Chris Marler told That SEC Football Podcast’s Mike Bratton, “It’s good that the retention is there. But, like, my main concerns are, are you going to be deeper on first and second string, especially on defense?”

Kane Wommack himself acknowledged that the D-line depth was a major issue going into 2025. “I don’t know if I ever feel like I have enough depth on the interior. But it’s certainly an area that I think, from a defensive standpoint, it’s probably one of our biggest areas of depth concern,” the DC said after a practice session. Experienced players in that department are Tim Keenan III and James Smith. Edric Hill and Jeremiah Beaman are also talents who have shown promise so far, according to Wommack. The defense was what let down the show in those shocking losses to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. Against Georgia, too, the trend was noticed.

Alabama’s portal losses in the spring amount to just 6, out of which 4 are defensive guys. DeBoer has also remained relatively silent while recruiting transfers, too, having just two additions from the portal. DeBoer has succeeded in one part of the role. What he needs to do right now is to implement all of his learnings from the past season to achieve a better finish this year.

Kalen DeBoer finally settling in as Alabama HC?

Kalen Deboer’s buyout is priced at $70 million. And after the 2024 season, it wasn’t looking like fans would ever build any confidence in him. See, Alabama lost its shine towards the tail-end of the Nick Saban era. DeBoer was not the only guy to blame for last year’s production. But, with his transfer portal victory, it looks like all DeBoer needed was some more time to find his footing.

It’s not easy to fill the shoes of someone of Saban’s stature. DeBoer faltered in year 1, but Year 2 is poised to look like his shot at redemption. For DeBoer, a new coach for a blue-blood program, it’s nothing short of an elite feat with what he’s pulled at the transfer portal. Kane Wommack was all praise about the HC navigated the portal window. “The truth is, high tides raise all boats. For us, keeping that mindset for these players – of course, everybody wants our starters – but they want our twos and our threes, as well. I think Kalen has done a really tremendous job of managing that to getting these guys to buy into this team and how that helps them as individuals,” he said.

DeBoer is improving things at the program, one day at a time. Some embarrassing losses came during his first year, but he looks well-positioned not to repeat them. Will the Crimson Tide HC be able to redeem himself in his second year in charge?