Alabama football added a walk-on tight end in his final season of collegiate eligibility, one who expected to make an impact upon arrival.

The Alabama football standard was clear in the Nick Saban era. A year after Saban retired, how does it look under Kalen DeBoer?

Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer and his former right-hand man at Washington, Ryan Grubb, could reunite in Tuscaloosa. It'll just be a bit awkward given how Grubb left the Crimson Tide last year.

Alabama starts the 2025 season on Saturday, Aug. 30, at Florida State. The Tide also host Wisconsin during nonconference play before getting their SEC season underway. It’ll be important for DeBoer to get off to a hot start in those games to keep the heat off of him.

Jalen Milroe and Tyler Booker are confident in the direction the program is heading under the leadership of DeBoer.

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer isn't on the "hot seat" entering the 2025 college football season, though that could quickly change if things trend south in Tuscaloosa next fall. DeBoer had a fairly decent debut season at Alabama by most standards.

Although DeBoer’s season wasn’t the worst first year for a Crimson Tide coach, it snapped a streak of 10-win seasons. Alabama had won at least 10 games for 16 straight seasons. The last time the Crimson Tide didn’t win 10 games was in 2007, Saban’s first year.

Washington improved. It won 14 games in 2023, beating Texas again in the College Football Playoff in the Sugar Bowl before losing to Michigan in the CFP national championship game. Days later, DeBoer was named as Nick Saban's successor with Alabama football.

When the close struck 0:00 at Raymond James Stadium on New Year's Eve, not only did it mark the end of the ReliaQuest Bowl

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer stands to lose a lot if the Crimson Tide were to miss the College Football Playoff again in 2025.