All eyes in Tuscaloosa are on the new head coach, Kalen DeBoer, as fans eagerly await his debut. He’s been feeling the heat for the past eight months, stepping into the massive shoes of the legendary Nick Saban.

Now, the pressure to maintain Saban’s legacy is quite intense, and some might think it’s a tough task for DeBoer to pull off, especially with a new roster. But the players are showing a lot of confidence in him and the new direction of the Crimson Tide.

Ahead of the season opener, tight end CJ Dippre spoke to the media on Tuesday, addressing the buzz around the team. He gave a strong thumbs up for Coach DeBoer, saying, “I think the tight end in this offense with Kalen DeBoer really has to be able to do it.” He went on to explain, “We’re spread out a lot at No. 1, 2, or 3. Sometimes we’re in the backfield. We just have to be able to do it all and understand our role.”

Well, Dippre’s words carry weight, especially since he joined the team last year to learn from GOAT Saban himself. He made an impact with 11 catches for 187 yards making his transfer from Maryland worth it. Now, this year, the kid is even on the Mackey Award watchlist and it’s high time to put his words into action. And luckily, he’ll have a great opportunity to do just that in Alabama’s season opener at home turf, Bryant-Denny Stadium on August 31st.

Their first battle is against Western Kentucky, and things seem pretty favorable for Bama this time. 

Kalen DeBoer’s likely winning debut

Alabama’s first game of the season against Western Kentucky looks like a slam dunk. For starters, Western Kentucky isn’t that good against big SEC teams. They have, in fact, lost 5 of the 6 matches playing against the conference. And to add, DeBoer is no slouch either. He has a coaching record of 104-12, which means he’s won about 90% of the games he’s coached.

Even On3’s CFB expert JD Pickell vouches for this track record. He even predicts that Alabama will have a 10-2 season, with only possible losses coming from LSU and Georgia. But even if they lose those games, they’re still likely to make the playoffs. And with talented players like Jalen Milroe and CJ Dippre on the team, they’re in a great position to win.

Meanwhile, Pickell also praises DeBoer’s coaching skills. He calls him a “real play-caller” and notes two of the strengths that will help him win this season. “One is messing with the defense pre-snap… the other part of that is maximizing his players,” he says. It looks like not just players, even CFB experts are oozing confidence in this new Crimson Tide. Well, let’s just say, Alabama is in good hands after Nick Saban’s exit.