Witness the strategic rebuild and quiet dominance as DeBoer navigates college football's evolving landscape, proving Alabama's winning tradition endures.
It’s easy to judge a head coach in today’s college football world by one thing: wins on Saturday.
But if that’s the only measuring stick we’re using, then we’re missing the bigger picture, and that’s exactly what’s happening with Kalen DeBoer at Alabama.
DeBoer didn’t just take over a football program.
He inherited a new era.
NIL, the transfer portal, roster turnover, re-recruiting your own locker room, managing expectations after Nick Saban, all of it at once. And while the noise outside the building has been loud, what’s happening inside the program matters far more.
Alabama is winning. Not perfectly, not always pretty, but winning.
And that’s while DeBoer is actively reshaping the roster to fit his system, not forcing square pegs into round holes. He’s balancing portal additions with high-level recruiting, retaining key players, and adapting to a sport that looks nothing like it did even five years ago.
Let’s talk NIL for a second. This is uncharted territory for every coach in America, and DeBoer has handled it with professionalism and stability. Alabama hasn’t spiraled. The locker room hasn’t fractured. The program hasn’t lost its identity. That doesn’t happen by accident.
Recruiting?
Still elite.
Transfers?
Strategic, not desperate.
Culture?
Steady.
And most importantly, players believe in him. That matters more than any outside opinion ever will.
What fans have to understand is this: sustained success doesn’t come from panic.
It comes from patience.
From letting a coach build his version of Alabama football while respecting the standard that came before him.
DeBoer isn’t trying to be Saban, and he shouldn’t be. Nor could he be.
No one can replicate that era, and chasing it would only hold this program back.
He’s trying to win his way, in a completely different college football landscape, one shaped by NIL deals, constant roster movement, and a sport that now requires you to rebuild while you’re still competing at the highest level. T
hat’s not easy. And it’s not instant.
Give him time.
Time to fully establish his culture.
Time to recruit his players and retain them.
Time to let the roster turn over and align with his system.
Let the foundation set, because foundations matter more than headlines.
Let the system mature, because sustainable success is built, not rushed.
What DeBoer is doing isn’t flashy, but it’s intentional. It’s steady. It’s disciplined. And most importantly, it’s working.
Alabama isn’t lost.
Alabama isn’t crumbling.
Alabama is transitioning, and transitions take patience.
The panic comes from forgetting that even dynasties have growing pains. The payoff comes from trusting the process long enough to see it through.
Because here’s the truth: Alabama is not falling apart.
Alabama is adjusting.
And with Kalen DeBoer leading the way, it’s going to be just fine.