The shadow of Nick Saban still looms large over Tuscaloosa, and two seasons into the Kalen DeBoer era, the college football world is refusing to let the current head coach escape it. Despite steering the Crimson Tide to an 11-4 record, an SEC Championship appearance, and a College Football Playoff first-round win over Oklahoma last season, DeBoer is finding out the hard way that good is never good enough.
Why Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama Culture Is Falling Short of Nick Saban’s Standards
Following the departure of starting quarterback Ty Simpson to the Los Angeles Rams, the cracks in the foundation are drawing heavy scrutiny.
An anonymous SEC coach didn’t hold back when evaluating the current state of Alabama football, calling out the identity shift under DeBoer with staggering bluntness.
He said in Athlon Sports CFB Magazine, “With whoever was going to follow Nick Saban, there was going to be a measuring stick on the toughness or the softness of the program. The run-game statistics do not vouch for toughness.”
“They have to fix that. Losing [QB Ty Simpson] doesn’t help that.”
Anonymous Coach Comments on Alabama in Athlon Sports CFB Magazine
“With whoever was going to follow Nick Saban, there was going to be a measuring stick on the toughness or the softness of the program.
“The run-game statistics do not vouch for toughness.” pic.twitter.com/19t3SXaHHC
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) May 19, 2026
Under Saban, Alabama football was synonymous with a punishing, line-of-scrimmage-dominant ground game. Under DeBoer’s Air Raid and spread influences, that identity evaporated.
In 2025, the Crimson Tide ranked a dismal 125th in the nation in rushing offense, scratching out a meager 104.1 yards per game on the ground. Alabama averaged an un-Bama-like 3.4 yards per carry, consistently failing to impose its physical will on opposing defensive fronts.
Roster retention has proven incredibly difficult, and the Tide lost a massive chunk of their elite production to both the draft and the transfer portal.
The offensive line, which struggled mightily to generate push last year, faces a complete rebuild after tackle Kadyn Proctor turned pro. The skill positions took an equally massive hit with the departure of star wideout Germie Bernard. Defensively, the front seven was completely gutted as premier anchors like defensive tackle Tim Keenan III and linebacker Deontae Lawson made the leap to the NFL.
Entering the 2026 season, the national consensus reflects a program in transition and perhaps in trouble. The immediate future of the program rests on an intense, high-stakes quarterback battle between talented redshirt freshman Keelon Russell and Austin Mack.
In addition, the 2026 gauntlet offers no room for growing pains, featuring a brutal schedule that includes matchups against Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, and Texas A&M. If DeBoer cannot resurrect the physical identity of the program and fix a historically bad rushing attack, the soft label will stick, and his seat in Tuscaloosa will turn scorching hot.
Currently, PFSN’s CFB Playoff Meter gives Alabama a 34.3% chance to make the playoffs.
