Kirk Herbstreit sees a different Alabama team this season, and he’s giving Kalen DeBoer credit for the shift.
With No. 6 Alabama set to host No. 2 Georgia, the ESPN “College GameDay” analyst said Thursday on Pat McAfee’s show that DeBoer has handled the pressure around the program while staying true to his approach.
“Kalen DeBoer has had to deal with the noise and just kind of sit in the pocket, go out and recruit, (saying) we’re going to continue to raise the bar. We’re going to do it our way,” Herbstreit said Thursday.
“That’s very, very hard to do when the expectations from the fans are for you to be like (Nick Saban). I just don’t think that’s realistic when your personality is so different.
Kudos to (DeBoer) for being himself.
“I think they’re a very different team this year. (Alabama quarterback) Keelon Russell is going to get a lot of credit, but they’re healthy at running back.
Daniel Hill is running the ball with authority. They’re better at the line of scrimmage.
You mention Ryan Coleman-Williams, he’s back to playing the way he did his freshman year, which is great to see. He’s playing with a lot more confidence.
And I think the biggest issue, which we saw in last week’s game in Starkville (vs. Mississippi State), everybody thought it was going to be a shootout.
Herbstreit also pointed to Alabama’s defense, which has produced four interceptions for touchdowns this season.
“Kane Wommack and his defense, they are flying around,” he said. “They’re better in the trenches, and they’re doing a much better job on the back end just being on the same page and coming up with interceptions, so it’s a very, very different Alabama team.”
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Alabama Georgia Showdown Just Got Another Twist Fans Will Notice
ESPNs College GameDay is headed to Alabama for the upcoming Georgia-Alabama matchup, adding another layer to a game that already had the feel of a major early-season measuring stick. The setting only raises the stakes for a meeting that will have plenty of national attention, and now a familiar name from Alabamas recent past is joining the pregame spotlight.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, the former Crimson Tide Heisman winner, said he will serve as the celebrity picker on the show, giving Alabama fans one more reason to tune in before kickoff. The game also carries a weather watch, with Hurricane Isaias potentially threatening the schedule or creating difficult conditions, while Georgia will be without Chauncy Bowen and Alabama will lean on Daniel Hill, who leads the team in rushing yards. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama-Georgia Could Swing On One Quarterback Clash
Georgia arrives with the edge of experience at quarterback, and that alone gives Saturdays matchup a familiar feel for a game that tends to turn on poise as much as playmaking. Gunner Stockton has already been through the pressure of the SEC Championship stage and came away with the MVP hardware, giving the Bulldogs a steady hand in big moments and a baseline of confidence Alabama will have to account for.
On the other sideline, Keelon Russell brings a different kind of threat, the sort of flashy talent that can change the scoring rhythm of a game in a hurry. For Alabama, the question is not simply whether Russell can make plays, but whether his style can tilt the matchup enough to offset Stocktons experience and help decide which team controls the evening. [Read more 🡒]
Herbstreit Sees A Different Alabama Team Ahead Of Georgia Showdown
Kalen DeBoers first Alabama team has already given observers enough reason to believe the program is starting to look different from the one Nick Saban left behind. Kirk Herbstreit recently pointed to a group that appears healthier, more balanced and more comfortable in its own skin, noting how the Tide have opened the 2026 season 5-0 while building toward a marquee matchup with Georgia.
Herbstreit also framed the early progress as more than just a hot start, crediting DeBoer for sticking with his own coaching identity even with the pressure that comes with the job. The bigger question now is whether Alabamas improved health and steadier play in the trenches can hold up when the competition level jumps again, because Georgia will offer a far stiffer test than anything the Tide have faced so far. [Read more 🡒]