Kalen DeBoer is undoubtedly living up to Tide fans’ expectations! It’s been only six months since he arrived in Tuscaloosa after Nick Saban called it a career. While nobody expected much from the new head coach, DeBoer has managed to deliver on the promises he made during his inaugural Alabama speech, particularly through his stellar recruiting strategy. Despite nearly thirty players leaving Alabama through the transfer portal, DeBoer’s recruiting efforts have shown immediate results to fans.

He successfully flipped several key players back to Alabama, including Kadyn Proctor, Keelon Russell, Chuck McDonald, Michael Carroll, and Mal Waldrep. Additionally, he brought in several new transfer players such as Michigan safety Keon Sabb, Geno VanDeMark, and Penn State’s four-star King Mack. DeBoer is doing it all to build his Crimson Tide army. He even brought his former Washington QB, Michael Penix Jr., to help with recruiting. However, while the Kalen DeBoer era looks promising so far, CFB analysts see Georgia HC Kirby Smart as a significant roadblock for Alabama this season.

On the June 14th episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, college football analyst Joel Klatt acknowledged that despite the end of the Nick Saban era, “Alabama is still the standard” in the SEC under new head coach Kalen DeBoer. However, Klatt sees the upcoming season posing significant challenges for DeBoer, with SEC teams Georgia and Texas aiming to dethrone Alabama. Kirby Smart’s impressive 50-4 record with Georgia includes three losses to Saban’s Alabama. And now, with Saban no longer at the helm, Smart will be particularly motivated to secure a win against the Crimson Tide. 

“In this transition, they will be at risk because two of the four best teams in the country are in their conference—Texas and Georgia,” Klatt remarked. “They have the resources, the coaches, and the athletes to put Alabama aside, and that’s the challenge for Kalen DeBoer.”  He further emphasized the importance for DeBoer to not only maintain his presence but also solidify Alabama’s status as the premier program in the South and the nation. This means DeBoer has to be mentally prepared for these critical matchups against Georgia and Texas. However, it does not mean coach Smart and coach Sarkisian are not without pressure.

Will Kirby Smart finally get a win against Alabama?

Since Nick Saban has left the college football scene, Georgia fans have high expectations this year and are hoping for their first win against Alabama. On the June 12th episode of the On3 podcast, Max Olson and Andy Staples shared their thoughts on the matter. When Staples asked Olson how Saban’s absence changes the dynamics of the SEC, the playoff race, and the national title race, Olson replied, “It puts a lot of pressure on Kirby Smart, Dan Lanning, Steve Sarkisian, and all these guys to be the dominant program going forward.”

Certainly, Saban’s absence alters the competitive landscape of the SEC and shifts the responsibility onto other coaches to establish their dominance. This is understandable, especially since it is DeBoer’s first year in the SEC, and Tide fans are not going to put much pressure on their new head coach. However, the rest of the conference, especially Georgia and Texas, are expected to seize this opportunity to make it to the National Championship or claim the SEC throne.

It’s also worth noting that Georgia’s offense is not as strong this season, with Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey departing to the NFL through the 2024 draft. This will put a lot of pressure on QB Carson Beck. Meanwhile, Kalen DeBoer’s aggressive recruiting ahead of this season shows the potential for the Tide to maintain their status previously set by Saban.

Therefore, the 2024 season in the SEC is going to be an interesting one, as fans watch to see if Smart can finally defeat Alabama without Nick Saban, or if DeBoer will prove his head coach status by giving Georgia another loss against them.