Kalen DeBoer is getting ready to start his third season in Tuscaloosa in 2026 under heavy pressure. After the Crimson Tide recorded a 10-win season in 2025, expectations will be high, and Alabama’s rich tradition also adds to those already sky-high expectations.
Alabama Hype Meets Harsh Reality as NFL Legend Challenges Kalen DeBoer Era
DeBoer stepped into an impossible situation by succeeding Nick Saban at Alabama. Saban won six national championships with the Crimson Tide and retired with 297 career on-field wins, overseeing a run of dominance so long that it’s difficult to recall a time when Alabama truly struggled. However, some observers, including former NFL safety Roman Harper, believe that the legendary dynasty has shown cracks in recent years.
“Alabama fans have this fantasy they live in fantasy la la land, right, that they have been so great for so long, college football is not what it was four years ago,” Harper said. “It’s a reason why Nick Saban left. It’s a reason why Nick Saban lost two games in the last three or four years of his coaching career every year. I can’t wait to see how they continue to build out this thing and came in the board. I like him as a person, but I’ll tell you this, though. Alabama’s got to become tougher.
“They got to be a tougher team physically. They got to get tougher and then mentally. You got to get some angry guys. I need more angry guys on that sideline. I’ve been on that sideline a lot. I need more angry grass for Alabama. If you do that, I think the sky’s the limit, and they got to find a way to be a more physical run team and be able to stop the run as well.”
Alabama’s 2025 season ended in disastrous fashion with the worst bowl loss in program history, as No. 1 Indiana overwhelmed the No. 9 Crimson Tide 38-3 in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. It marked the third time in Alabama’s final four games that the offense averaged under four yards per play, and the defeat was labeled the most lopsided postseason loss in the program’s 122-year history. The Tide finished 11-4 and ranked No. 30 in the PFSN College Football Offense Impact Metric.
As for the 2026 season, Alabama faces its familiar SEC gauntlet with games against Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, and Auburn. With Ty Simpson moving on to the NFL, the Crimson Tide will also rely on a first-time starting quarterback, either Keelon Russell or Austin Mack. According to PFSN, Alabama has a 33.33% chance to reach the College Football Playoff and a 2.2% chance to win the national championship in 2026.
