Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer has big shoes to fill. He took over the position last year after Nick Saban retired from coaching following the 2023 season. While Saban is now retired, he is still involved in Alabama football and is still employed by the university.
Although, Saban is not involved in day-to-day operations, he still helps out with the program where he can. On Wednesday, in an appearance on “The Next Round,” DeBoer was asked about Saban being available for a recruiting weekend in Tuscaloosa this offseason.
Kalen DeBoer emphasized how much Nick Saban put into Alabama’s football program over the years and the pride he still has in it, even though he is no longer coaching. He said:
“He added to it, made it better. He’s obviously right there, still employed by the university in a capacity. Has an office over there in the stadium. Any time I know that a staff member or myself has a question, I know he’d be open to that. He wants Alabama football to be successful.
“It just worked for us to have a couple of meeting slots. It was cool because I felt like it was a special time, because these were guys he had met with early in their recruiting process. Why not make something special when they come to our campus for an official visit? That’s what I’m always trying to do and that was the case in that situation.”
When asked about Nick Saban being present in Tuscaloosa on a recruiting weekend, Kalen DeBoer said:
“Why not make something special for people when they come to your campus for an official visit?”@BBHealthAL pic.twitter.com/X9SrSNHOgE
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) July 16, 2025
Kalen DeBoer and Alabama Crimson Tide Have Had a Strong Recruiting Year
Regardless of how much Nick Saban has helped the Alabama Crimson Tide with recruiting, it has been a strong year for the team. According to 247Sports, the Crimson Tide already have commitments from four five-star recruits in the 2026 recruiting class. This gives them the No. 5-ranked recruiting class in the nation.
Kalen DeBoer and his squad have the most commitments from five-star recruits in the 2026 class thus far. The thing holding them back from having the top class is that they do not have many four-star recruits compared to other programs. They only have nine, whereas the teams above them have 19+.
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