Other programs, desperate to get back to prominence, have chipped away at Alabama and Georgia’s talent advantage. How will they respond?

Kalen DeBoer's first season at the helm of the Alabama football program was one of incredibly high highs and extremely low lows. From a top-five victory against Georgia and a No. 1 overall ranking to unranked losses to Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, and Michigan, the Crimson Tide faithful went through it in 2024.

State champions Jackson, Thompson and Parker each placed two on the Alabama Sports Writers Association Super All-State team, a list of the top 12 high school football players in Alabama for 2024 regardless of classification.

Sports Illustrated placed Alabama at No. 8 in its rankings, which is a higher spot than most outlets put Alabama in. For example, The Athletic and CBS Sports each have Alabama at No. 14 and ESPN placed the Crimson Tide at No. 12.

In 2024, Alabama finished the season with a 9-4 overall record, which was the program’s worst year since that 2007 campaign. Year one of the Kalen DeBoer era, Alabama also finished with a 5-3 record in SEC play, which was the worst since the same mark in 2010.

Kalen DeBoer knows Alabama football has to be better. Standing outside of Hancock Whitney Stadium for the 2025 Senior Bowl, the Alabama football coach harkened back to his expectation for the Crimson Tide when he first took the job: to perform at a championship level.

Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer spoke about Ryan Grubb, Jason Jones and many other topics during a visit to the 2025 Senior Bowl.