Kalen DeBoer’s comeback hopes took a major hit after their second scrimmage. Alabama is entering its third season under him with championship hopes, but the spring practice tells a different story as both QBs, Keelon Russell and Austin Mack, show inconsistency. Now, if this continues, DeBoer might be in trouble for another season.
“I would say today wasn’t their sharpest day, and a lot of it is what we’ve been talking with the offensive line,” Alabama’s head coach, Kalen DeBoer, said to the media after the scrimmage. “So, I’d say it wasn’t up to the standard that they’ve had. But there’s no doubt that if we had to play a game. There are some things they do really well that we’re confident in that they can execute at a high level.”
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While Kalen DeBoer protected his young passers by pointing to blocking breakdowns, his admission that the offense fell below the ‘Bama Standard’ is a clear warning. For a coach whose system relies heavily on quick processing, holding the ball or missing reads won’t be tolerated, regardless of line play.
However, the offensive struggles aren’t entirely on the quarterbacks. Alabama’s offensive line has changed a lot compared to last season. Michael Carroll is the only returning starter from the 2025 season, and the team also has a new offensive line coach after Chris Kapilovic left. Because of these changes, the players are still learning to build chemistry among themselves.
DeBoer explains that performance depends on how comfortable players are with old plays and how they handle new ones. But with new plays added this spring, players are still learning, so they make more mistakes, and DeBoer understands that shift.
“Just getting in sync with guys, the reps that they’ve had a lot, maybe just even things that we have as part of our base offense that we’ve done now for two years here,” DeBoer said. “You can see everyone being in sync, and when you’re playing with confidence, you’ll rip it with confidence. This is some of the new stuff that maybe we haven’t had until this year, or done as much of until this spring.”
The QB position matters the most to Kalen DeBoer, as if he fails to choose a suitable one this season might be out of his hands. That’s the risk he can’t take anymore, especially after the 2024 playoff miss and last year’s tough loss against Indiana that ended their championship hopes. Plus, he is already in the hot seat, so one more losing season can push DeBoer’s time with Bama to the edge.
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The growing pains make sense given their limited live reps. Last season, Mack mostly handled mop-up duty behind QB Ty Simpson, while Russell saw the field for just two games. That lack of in-game processing time is now showing up against a complex first-team defense.
On the other side, Russell is also a freshman who played in two games last year, completed 11 of 15 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. This clearly shows how a lack of experience has taken a toll on both of them.
But QB inconsistency is not the only concern for Kalen DeBoer.
Kalen DeBoer gets a tough verdict
Kalen DeBoer didn’t start on the wrong foot with Alabama. After taking the Washington Huskies to the playoffs in 2023, DeBoer looked like a perfect fit to replace Nick Saban, but that ended on a bad note for him. In the first season, he lost against Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Tennessee, missing the playoffs. Then last year, they entered it but lost against Georgia and Indiana, both.
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That’s when fans started questioning whether he is the right fit for the team and their long-term solution or not! That’s when Paul Finebaum pointed out how the team should have hired Lane Kiffin rather than DeBoer.
“I think they would have a little more patience with Lane Kiffin because there would be a familiarity, and I think that is also what works against DeBoer is his low-key Boy Scout personality,” Paul Finebaum said on his show.
Now, one of the major reasons behind picking Kiffin over DeBoer is his familiarity with the system. He has worked there before as an offensive coordinator and helped the team succeed, so fans are more familiar and comfortable with him. Kiffin is also very confident and outspoken, which many fans like. He later proved himself a strong head coach, leading Ole Miss to a great 11-1 season and reaching the College Football Playoff.
The comparison between Kiffin and DeBoer is not just about their results, but also about their personalities. Kiffin has a bold and energetic style, while Kalen DeBoer is quieter and calmer. Because of this, fans may take more time to fully accept DeBoer, but once they do, there might be no going back.
