When Nick Saban announced his decision to retire (January 2024) after creating an almost unmatchable standard at the Alabama Crimson Tide, fans were left worried about the program’s future.
However, when Kalen DeBoer took over, several fans and analysts considered it a home run. Nonetheless, with a 9-4 record, his first year as the Alabama head coach did not go as planned.
In 2025, DeBoer is determined to turn things around and take Alabama back to the Nick Saban standard, whether it is developing Ty Simpson as a quarterback, bringing in Ryan Grubb as an offensive coordinator, or killing it in recruiting.
Paul Finebaum, who has been vocal about the pressure on DeBoer to match Saban’s legacy, recently shared his thoughts on the recruiting momentum Alabama has gotten in the last few weeks.
During an appearance on the ‘McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning’ podcast, Finebaum said:
“I think, overall, Kalen DeBoer, with the addition of Ryan Grubb and finally the staff a little bit more to his liking, has brought continuity and that’s evidenced by him retaining his players in the spring, which I think is a very big deal for that purpose, and I think it’s oozing over to recruiting.”
“Quite frankly, this is one of the great recruiting runs we’ve seen in some years. It almost feels like Nick Saban is running the ship again when it comes to recruiting because this is vintage Alabama recruiting,” addedFinebaum. “I think when we saw this transition two and a half years ago, I think a lot of people doubted Alabama could come back to this particular moment in time. But it is here and I think it bodes extremely well for Alabama in the future.”
NEW: Paul Finebaum on Kalen DeBoer’s recruiting success at Alabama:
“Quite frankly, this is one of the great recruiting runs we’ve seen in some years. It almost feels like Nick Saban is running the ship again when it comes to recruiting because this is vintage Alabama… pic.twitter.com/1Vy2QahE2t
— On3 (@On3sports) June 30, 2025
Nick Saban Makes a Bold Case for Ty Simpson for the QB1 Position
Ty Simpson is in a quarterback competition with Austin Mack and the five-star recruit Keelon Russell for the starting role in the 2025 college football season.
While there wasn’t a clear name during the offseason, it’s widely anticipated that Simpson will win the race and replace Jalen Milroe as the team’s quarterback this year.
Nick Saban, who recruited Simpson in 2022, put in a vote of confidence for the veteran quarterback in May:
“Ty was an outstanding high school player, no doubt,” Saban said. “He is a fine young man. I think his example is a true example of development. He matured and developed for (three) years and now he’s going to get the opportunity, and I think his experiences are really going to help him be successful.”
Alabama will kick off the 2025 season against FSU on August 30.
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