Months have passed since the departure of coaching legend Nick Saban from the Alabama Crimson Tide, yet the comparisons with the new HC, Kalen DeBoer, persist. Notably, YouTuber Mat Best, on his YouTube show MattBeBest, positions DeBoer ahead of Saban, attributing this to DeBoer’s innovative recruitment tactics that have already begun reshaping the Alabama football program. 

To further prove his point, he references the Crimson Tide landing the freshman five-star receiver, Ryan Williams. According to the host, with this move, DeBoer has gained an advantage in Alabama that will continue to reign. 

DeBoer is on his way to claiming the spotlight with recruitment tactics

In his podcast, he reveals how Alabama fans are still not over the impact that Saban left and are yet to accept DeBoer as a coach. Best confessed, “I’ve heard a couple people say they’re worried about his coaching ability cause it’s just different when you’re at Alabama compared to Fresno State and Washington…”

He then continues by describing how DeBoer stands out even in the midst of a speculative atmosphere reigning in Alabama after Saban’s departure. “If DeBoer got the message that he wasn’t quote-unquote supposed to be good at recruiting because he has been killing it. As of recent, I would say one of the big early on recruits he got was Ryan Williams,” asserted Best. With this move, the new Alabama HC will find his name mentioned in any discussion in the coming 10-15 years. Since DeBoer is far from a greenhorn and has led Washington to last season’s national championship, he comes off with his daring moves.  

DeBoer’s modus operandi for the Crimson Tide

DeBoer visited Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel on May 2, Thursday night, and went overboard with the praise of Ryan Williams. As claimed by the new HC, “We’ll play the best guys, guys that can get out there and help us…Ryan certainly has got a very special skillset — explosiveness, along with just consistent production.” The 6-foot, 165-lb wide receiver is a homegrown talent; he managed to find himself in the rank of the eighth-best player in the nation. 

Now that Williams is joining a retooled Tide roster with safety Kameron Howard and offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, his talents will only get multiplied. Besides this, the new Alabama head coach remains relentless in pursuing the quarterback. He wants Deuce Knight to play quarterback for him. However, DeBoer would need to get Knight flip from Notre Dame to Alabama, which would be a massive move. 

Hence, dodging criticism and facing a lack of belief,  DeBoer has embarked on a journey to build his Crimson Tide program as he chooses. He may also resort to poaching tactics to get in the best of the best in Tuscaloosa to prove his brilliance.