Who doesn’t want a daily dose of bold SEC takes? It’s never quiet in the SEC, and Alabama’s 2025 outlook is keeping the noise levels high. One of the biggest concerns came from Alabama who played without Nick Saban, and Kalen DeBoer couldn’t hold up to the expectations of the Bama fans. The Crimson Tide fell 9-4, finished fourth in the SEC, and didn’t make it to the playoffs. But big questions are still on the loose, especially regarding the QB position and Nick Saban’s curious move. 

On February 15, Until Saturday had a fresh bold take coming from RB Damien Harris. “Alabama will look very similar to how they did last year,” the former SEC star bluntly stated. “I don’t think that we’re going to see a dramatic jump from last year to next year and there’s a couple of reasons.” The first reason that Harris stated is the concern with the QB room after Jalen Milroe’s NFL departure. By the looks of it, Alabama will potentially start one of these two QBs — Ty Simpson and Keelon Russell. But both have their own sets of woes that could hamper their team’s growth in 2025. 

Ty Simpson has been around in Tuscaloosa since 2022 but he had to wait in line behind Bryce Young and Milroe. While Harris mentioned familiarity as a plus, the concern is that if he is going to be the QB1, “It’s going to be a drop off from what we saw with Jalen Milroe.” Despite being a highly rated QB, Milroe couldn’t deliver last season throwing for less than 3,000 yards and 16 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. And Keelon Russell? He may be a coveted 5-star QB, the No. 2 in his position, but…

As Damien Harris pointed out, “This kid’s never played a down of college football before. He doesn’t have the experience. He doesn’t have the knowledge. He’s never had to play the game at this speed before.” While the offensive woes drag Alabama’s hopes down, the defense isn’t a better story either. The Crimson Tide ranks 21st in the nation in total defense. While that’s not a very bad stat, the way their defensive unit fared against Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt in that shocking 40-35 loss. The Commodores racked up a total of 418 yards on offense while Pavia scored 252 passing yards and 56 yards on the ground. Could it be that the speculation hurled at Nick Saban’s assistance in the Georgia NIL case is coming to light? 

Is Alabama’s woes part of Nick Saban’s motives?

That’s a controversial question but the internet isn’t remaining silent after Nick Saban intervened in Georgia tax laws. Opinions have come up that the former Alabama HC could be aiming to retain his legacy as the greatest coach by giving rival Kirby Smart a boost in recruitment. The case is that if Kalen DeBoer finds success as his successor, “Nick Saban’s career looks smaller and smaller,” per an analyst. There could be some truth to that speculation because the GOAT could be dethroned if the Crimson Tide starts winning back-to-back national championships without him.

Despite Alabama falling short of impact players in the QB room, Kalen DeBoer didn’t bring in any QB transfers from the portal. Both Simpson and Russell will potentially have to compete for the starting nods. But the second-year HC could have a plan up his sleeves. He’s hired his trusted assistant Ryan Grubb as the new Crimson Tide OC. Grubb has been his right-hand man during his stints at Washington before he left for the NFL in 2024. But will that be enough?

Alabama enters 2025 as an underdog in its own conference — a rare sight in the Saban era. Can Kalen DeBoer silence his critics and bring the Tide back to the top? We’ll see.