One of the hottest topics surrounding college football was Alabama’s playoff miss out in the 2024 regular season. Things didn’t go as planned for Kalen DeBoer in his first year. After a decent start of the season, DeBoer failed to keep up the momentum and capped off the season in a disappointing fashion with a 19-13 loss against Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The quintessential Nick Saban comparison immediately recurred into the mix with minute details around play calls, decision-making, roster handling, and more. DeBoer, the former Washington head coach, was pretty well aware of the consequences of succeeding a GOAT in his rank. But he himself signed up for the debate.

Well, one short season is too petty to dub the new HC as successful or a total fiasco. As DeBoer deserves more time to bear out the quality, all eyes are on a compelling postseason, precisely on the portal.

An expert roster analysis issues a red alert for Kalen DeBoer 

When Kalen DeBoer first took over as Alabama’s football coach in January 2024, the portal flooded with departures and not vice versa. The legendary coach Nick Saban’s retirement triggered people into thinking that the standard would eventually flicker. DeBoer could only retain some players but couldn’t replace those who left. But one year later, the portal was open in both ways, and DeBoer and his team started pushing aggressively toward taking big fish off the pond. He has added some but left a lot as well. It was not a mass exodus this time, but a lot of players left.

Alabama’s roster will look largely different from it did in 2024. Quarterback Jalen Milroe declared for the NFL Draft earlier this year, leaving the Crimson Tide in severe jeopardy in their QB depth chart. But to protect the O-line, you must have a strong tackle depth, which they heavily lacked in 2024. They allowed 24 sacks, a slight improvement from the previous season, but still stands at the mediocre line. Insider Clint Lamb catches a danger there. “The offensive line is so intriguing to me because when you start looking at okay, like Kadyn Proctor, he’s a junior, Kam Dewberry who we think is going to be in that competition that left a guard with Geno VanDeMark. Dewberry is a senior, Geno VanDeMark is a fifth-year senior, Jaeden Roberts fifth-year senior, Wilkin Formby is going to be a redshirt sophomore, so he’s going to be in his third year,” Lamb said.

If the tackles look unorganized and thin in structure, it will bring back Alabama’s struggle in the O-line amidst a high-pressure situation. The same offensive slump that plagued the Tide since 2020 needs some serious backup from the tackle to maintain its rhythm, heading to a brand new season. ”You got a really good blend of experience across the board if you really want it uh my main concern is the depth, particularly at tackle.”

With Alabama losing starting left guard Tyler Booker to the NFL, they needed a substitute. The two top-tier options would be Texas A&M transfer Kam Dewberry and true freshman Michael Carroll. ‘‘I wouldn’t be surprised if, like Michael Carroll, a first-year guy, was in that competition at left guard,” Lamb chimed in. But again, it’s about how well DeBoer can manage and decide whom to use when and how in the right order to chisel out the best.

Well, proper management of the depth chart is an area, but managing the assigned money is another. The first-year head coach seemed to have a poor image in the second category as well.

Kalen DeBoer was seemingly slow in utilizing the money

Nick Saban had a pretty famous proverb that reads, everything we do is about recruiting. No doubt what Saban did in the business. Six national championships in his 17-year tenure weren’t a fluke after all. The best part is a chunk of his success lies in his recruiting upper hand. A big lesson for DeBoer to adapt. But is he paying a heed?

To ace the 2025 season, the post-season movement is pivotal. Mick Gillispie of the Bama Tailgate believes DeBoer is lacking in his portal effort. He revealed that the top 5 schools containing the most monetary value include Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, Michigan, and lastly, Alabama.

As per his judgment, every school is doing quite justice to the money they receive, but Alabama looked a bit lackluster. He voiced concern over how DeBoer isn’t paying attention to draining the money into the roster development. Ohio State, on the other hand, made the most expensive roster in the business and reaped the fruit last Monday. So, it’s high time for the Tide to wake up and let their money flow in the right direction.