Every year, the deck of players that a college football coach is dealt changes. Now more than ever, with the wild wild west that is NIL and an open transfer portal. This year is no different for the Alabama football program.
With last year’s starting quarterback Ty Simpson leaving for the NFL Draft, there is a big void that must be filled. All eyes are on a pair of dual-threat quarterbacks, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Unlike last season’s three-way competition, DeBoer told “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” that this year feels more standard.
"I think this one’s probably a little more typical to most quarterback competitions," DeBoer said. "Last year... we really truly did want to give Keelon as much opportunity to grow in his first year. This year, we’ve got two amazing young men that battle, but they’re leading the team together without worrying about stepping on each other’s toes."
Last year, Alabama’s defense was one of the best in the SEC and easily its best unit over the past two seasons under DeBoer. This offseason, it will have some new faces on that side of the ball with six players leaving for the NFL Draft, including cornerback Domani Jackson, starting defensive lineman LT Overton and Tim Keenan, and three interior linebackers, Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson and Nikhai Hill-Green, not to mention the depth pieces that were lost to the transfer portal.
However, key additions of their own from the transfer portal and the return of both starting safeties Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb, have Kalen DeBoer believing that this unit is in ‘a better spot’ entering the 2026 season.
"It's exciting — there's always a guy here and a guy there that will be limited in spring ball, but we're in a better spot in my mind on this side of the ball in particular just with who we have coming back, the experience especially in the secondary with everyone except for Domani Jackson being back," DeBoer told the WJOX hosts. "The linebacker position is the one probably hit the hardest. We brought in Caleb Woodson, who is a veteran, a captain from where he is coming. And then some young guys who were being groomed for this spot when we recruited them two years ago.”
"D-line, I think we did a nice job putting some things together with returners and the portal, where I feel like we're at least gonna be bigger, and I like the mentality that we have in the early stages."
Woodson is a veteran addition at linebacker from Virginia Tech that would provide experience, but DeBoer was also excited for the young talent that could battle it out to see the field at the linebacker position.
"QB (Reese) would definitely be one of them," DeBoer said. "C.J. Jones, who missed a little bit of the season last year with an injury, is coming back in his third year now. I mentioned Caleb Woodson as the lone transfer in. You got Duke (Johnson) and Luke (Metz), that's the easiest way to remember them. These guys were heavy, heavy special teams. Those guys are all going to be competing and battling for that linebacker spot with the loss of Justin, Deontae, and Nikhai."
Spring practice will officially begin on Sunday for the Crimson Tide.
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