“The next Nick Saban” now that’s something heavy. The first step to carrying it successfully is winning games getting to know your players and connecting with them. Kalen DeBoer has always proved to fans that he is very capable of great things. Much like Joel Klatt put it, “Kalen is competitively proficient.” Till now, Crimson Tide fans only wondered how DeBoer is doing with the team. Yes, many already know about the offensive changes, but what goes on inside the locker room? Well, Jalen Milroe has the answer to it.

On July 25th, Get UP by ESPN shares quite an interesting conversation with starting QB Jalen Milroe. The first question given to Milroe was about Kalen DeBoer, the man himself. “What’s the most important lesson you learned from him (Kalen DeBoer) so far?” the host asked. Milroe, who came over to the Tides from Texas, had a fascinating answer to this. “Kalen DeBoer pushes me to be the best QB in the country,” he said. Not only that, DeBoer has gone on to share his personal number with every player on the team as well, so that they can reach out to their coach whenever they want or whenever they face any problems. “Beyond the coaching, he does a really good job of getting to know his players,” Milroe explained. For fans of the Tides, it is easy to see why Milroe gets along with DeBoer so well, especially more because of the similar strengths that both coaches share regarding connecting with their players, in spite of having different playbooks.

In the same episode, Milroe also explained what he learned from Nick Saban. “it’s hard to narrow down one, but if I was to choose one, I’ll say trust the process,” he mentioned. Much like DeBoer, Saban also believed in connecting with his players and giving them all the assurance they needed. Milroe explained how Saban made it easy for the team to look past self-doubt and to have faith no matter what happens. For DeBoer, this would’ve been hard shoes to fill, but from what we have learned so far? He is carrying that “Next Nick Saban” title confidently. And it definitely shows from all the progress and changes he has made in the team.

Big expectations, big plays

“The expectations are ridiculous” is something SportsTalk Mississippi brought up back on July 20th. And it is true. However, DeBoer has his own charm. He has constantly proven himself from back when he took Sioux Falls to 3 national championship wins to take Washington State to a solid level. That man has also coached Michael Penix Jr. to become a Heisman winner. If that ain’t a great resume, then I don’t know what is.

Also, he has made great changes at Alabama as well. From shifting practice sessions to the morning to completely changing the playing style of the team to become more offensive-focused. Alabama right now has the best offensive lines in the country and there is no doubt about it. With how things are going, the 2024 season is going to be amazing for Alabama and maybe Milroe will be able to grab a Heisman? Well, we’ll soon find out.