Kalen DeBoer had a comparatively better outing in his second year at Tuscaloosa. But once again, the season ended on a disappointing note. To make matters worse, the Crimson Tide is facing an exodus that has become all too familiar at the program since Nick Saban’s retirement.

Over the past two years, 66 players have transferred from Alabama to other programs. Kalen DeBoer isn’t responsible for all of them. A portion of the transfers happened after Nick Saban announced his retirement, giving the players an extra window to make up their minds. The losses were significant, including WR Isaiah Bond, LB Shawn Murphy, DB Dezz Ricks, DB Antonio Kite, DB Trey Amos, DB Caleb Downs, and QB Julian Sayin.

Some of these players have gone on to excel at their new programs. Downs and Sayin (as a backup) went on to win the national championship. But the pattern didn’t stop here. After Kalen DeBoer finished 9-4 in his first season, 23 other players left the program.

The exodus after the 2025 season again includes some key names. For instance, LB Jeremiah Alexander transferred to Clemson and accumulated 29 tackles, one sack, two pass breakups, and a fumble recovery. Similarly, WR Emmanuel Henderson Jr. saw an increase in production at Kansas. The same was true for DB Jahlil Hurley at Kansas. Safety King Mack also excelled at Penn State.

The one loss that hurt more than the others was that of RB Justice Haynes. Considering how Alabama struggled in its run game, Haynes could have really helped an injury-ridden RB room. Although his season was cut short, he still tallied 857 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 121 carries for Michigan.

After the conclusion of the 2025 season, DeBoer has already lost 13 players to the portal. That number will definitely continue to grow in the coming days. That includes important starters, such as Wilkin Formby, who played at right tackle this season. Also going is WR Cole Adams, who was used for punt receptions this season.

But not everything is lost. The head coach is also responsible for the No. 2 ranked class in 2026. He showed progress when it comes to in-state recruiting. Moreover, despite his struggles toward the end of the season, former legend Gene Stallings still has hope in the head coach.

Gene Stallings is on Kalen DeBoer’s side

For yet another time in DeBoer’s stint as Alabama’s head coach, he ended up on the bad side of public reception. Towards the end of the season, the losses to Oklahoma and Georgia were enough for fans to speculate on DeBoer’s firing. Stallings, however, wants to see more of the coach in crimson and white.

“I think he’s done an outstanding job. If he’s not the coach of the year, they shouldn’t have one,” Stalling told Al.com. “He’s done a super job, in my opinion, and I watch Alabama a lot on television.”

Kalen DeBoer took over Alabama at an extremely troubling time. Anybody else in those shoes would have performed the same way as he did, maybe worse. But DeBoer has also brought a lot of good to the program. He lost zero scholarship players to the spring portal in 2025 and signed a Top-10 finishing class for the second time in a row. Despite the season’s late struggles, Alabama’s heroics during the first half deserve a lot of appreciation.

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Taking Alabama back to what it was under peak Nick Saban was a mammoth task for Kalen DeBoer. But he never shied away from anything during these two years. The program sure has fallen from a sky-high pedestal, but things are yet to become desperate.