“Was Kalen DeBoer here?” was a big question Paul Finebaum asked back on SEC Network. Nick Saban was up there and he stole the show on SEC Media Days. When he went up to the microphone, he had an agenda, and he got his point across. However, why was DeBoer’s presence not felt in the same way? Yes, he often keeps it low-key and lets his game results do the talking, but in that moment he was getting overshadowed by the same coach he is expected to replace.

Now, Paul Finebaum, on ESPN’s First Take on July 22nd, brings up yet another thoughtful point. “He’s not Nick Saban and if he doesn’t get to the playoffs next year, most Alabama fans and most of us in the media are going to consider this season a total bust,” Finebaum explained. Bama fans have major expectations from DeBoer and if he can’t grab a win this season, it’s gonna send out all the wrong signals. Finebaum agreed that DeBoer has a charming personality, and he got Saban’s spot because he has the credentials. As Steven A. Smith puts it, “Everybody looking at you and they’re going like this. da*n we missed Nick. That’s what Kalen DeBoer has to establish.” DeBoer has to fill up that void and it has to be done both on the field and off field.

However, what if we look at it from another angle? What if we look at the exact changes that DeBoer has been making to ensure that Crimson Tide comes out on top? Even on July 20th, SportsTalk Mississippi brought this topic up. “Kalen is like the opposite of Nick. it’s a lot different there (Alabama),” they mentioned. DeBoer and Saban can be called 2 sides of the same coin. While they both have starkly different personalities and coaching styles, both of them still want to take the Tides to the highest level in college football. And from what we and even SportsTalk Mississippi have witnessed so far, looks like DeBoer has made quite the progress.

A whole new Bama

A sharp 70% increase in accuracy? Best offensive lines in the country? 3 starters who have ranked on PFF’s list of top returners? That’s the change DeBoer has brought to the Crimson Tide. While the transfer portal was open, Alabama did see the departure of notable players. However, what’s actually impressive is that they gained a total of 29 starts combined as compared to 17 starts before.

That is not all, DeBoer is all set to prep Jalen Milroe in the same way he did for Michael Penix Jr. Milroe openly commented on his comfort with an offensive focus style when asked to choose between Saban and DeBoer. Under Kalen, Milroe has finally been able to properly spread his wings. This is a whole new era for Bama under DeBoer and we are so ready for it.