“He’s Not Nick Saban” Well, that is true. Nick Saban is nothing but a legend in college football. A Sports Hall of Fame with multiple national championships under his belt, Saban is a different breed. Yes, Kalen DeBoer ain’t him, but that doesn’t mean he lacks the skill. That man took Sioux Falls to 3 championship wins and also took the Huskies to grab 2 cups while he was the HC over there. He’s out there doing his own thing at the Tides and it looks like Joshua Perry also agrees with this.

Bobby Carpenter Show took to X to share a clip from their July 28th episode with guest Joshua Perry. “That’s not Nick Saban hate segment. I don’t like it right now,” Perry mentioned. Perry’s main argument regarding the whole scenario stems from the fact that Bryant-Denny decided to name their stadium after Saban. This is a great initiative, mind you, but Perry’s point also makes sense, “This is year one for me and I feel like there are too many reminders of the guy who just left?” Even Paul Finebaum, for some odd reason, decided to bash Kalen DeBoer after the Media Days was over. Finebaum’s main gripe was that Nick Saban overshadowed DeBoer at the show. However, Kalen DeBoer has spent months changing the entire dynamic of the team. And the man has changed the Crimson Tide into an offensive monster on the field.

Even Joel Klatt agreed on this back on his show. “Alabama has the 2 best offensive lines in the country,” Klatt had mentioned. DeBoer didn’t magically get the “Next Nick Saban” title without any proper reason. Jalen Milroe even agreed that both Saban and DeBoer shared a lot of qualities when it came down to understanding their players and the team. Now many would say that Perry’s opinion might seem dumb. And it is quite understandable why. Saban deserves the memorial. However, what if we sit back and look at it from a different angle? As Perry mentioned, it’s your first year at the camp, and you get constantly reminded of the last coach who was there. After a certain extent, it will become annoying. Still, this ain’t the only thing DeBoer has to worry about right now.

Ridiculous expectations from DeBoer

Sportstalk Mississippi back on July 20th, made it very clear on their show that DeBoer has some major expectations waiting for him. “It’s big shoes to fill the expectations are ridiculous,” one of the hosts had said. It is true. Taking up Saban’s HC cap and leading the team which he had spent years building is a major task. However, looks like DeBoer is doing just fine. He has switched the training sessions to the morning.

Also, despite player departures post Saban’s exit, DeBoer has maintained a solid team comp. With the last transfer portal, although the Tides lost around 17 starts combined, they managed to gain 29 starts. Not only that, DeBoer is all set to make Jalen Milroe the next Heisman winner as well. With shifting full focus to offense, something that works perfectly with Milroe’s playstyle, the Crimson Tide are all set for the 2024 season.