Kalen DeBoer didn’t need a trophy case to tell him last season had lessons attached. Alabama’s Year 2 under him ended with a trip back to the SEC championship game and the College Football Playoff, but the ride there was uneven enough that the final picture still left room for reflection.
The Crimson Tide finished 11-4 overall and 7-1 in SEC play, a record that included a rough opening loss to Florida State, then an eight-game winning streak that featured four straight ranked wins. That run ended at home against Oklahoma, a game in which Alabama turned it over three times.
From there, Alabama steadied itself just enough to beat Auburn in the Iron Bowl and lock up a spot in the SEC title game. But Georgia handled the Tide 28-7 in Atlanta.
Even so, the committee still put Alabama in the 12-team CFP field. Alabama then rallied from a 17-point deficit to win at Oklahoma in the first round before falling 38-3 to eventual national champion Indiana in the quarterfinals.
DeBoer talked through what stuck with him from that stretch Wednesday morning on the set of SEC Now at SEC Media Days.
“It reemphasized to me how important it is to have everyone in sync," DeBoer said. "You can have the talent, but how do you bring those guys together?
How do you adjust to fit your personnel and what you're doing? And that's that's everyone.
That's from me to to our coaching staff to our players. It reemphasized to me how important it is everyone being on the same page and continuing to adjust, continuing to evolve, not being stubborn in your ways.
You know, understanding what it takes to win football games, and that's being physical.”
The opener is set up differently this time. Alabama started last season on the road against Florida State, which was coming off a 2-10 year and ended 2025 at 5-7. This season brings a home date with East Carolina to begin 2026, and DeBoer made clear he wants a cleaner launch no matter who is on the other sideline.
"Going back to last year, I think coming out stronger," DeBoer said when asked about what he learned from 2025. "What is it going to take to do that?
I think we did a great job responding. There’s reasons you can come up with for why we didn’t start strong, but to me, those are excuses, and we’ve just got to find ways to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
In Other News...
Alabamas Quarterback Battle Just Took A Telling Turn Before The Season
Ryan Coleman-Williams used his time at the 2026 SEC Media Days to offer a clear view of Alabamas quarterback room, and it was the kind of update that usually says as much about the competition as it does about the players. He came away sounding confident in both Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, pointing to Macks command of the offense and Russells ability to absorb the system quickly while still flashing playmaking traits.
For Alabama, the encouraging part is that the conversation around the position has shifted from uncertainty to trust in two different skill sets. Coleman-Williams said he is behind whichever quarterback the coaches pick for the season, which fits the bigger picture in Tuscaloosa right now: the staff has options, the locker room appears aligned, and the final call still carries real weight for how the offense takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Star Ryan Coleman-Williams Makes Jersey Change About Legacy
A small jersey tweak can carry a lot of meaning in Tuscaloosa, and Ryan Coleman-Williams made his own adjustment with that in mind. The Alabama wide receiver changed the name on the back of his jersey from Williams to Coleman-Williams, a move meant to reflect his full birth name and bring his family legacy more clearly into view. He also switched from No. 2 to No. 1, the number he wore in high school, adding another personal touch to a change rooted in identity as much as football.
The timing fits with a broader conversation inside the program about what players want to leave behind, after a team meeting with Nick Saban centered on legacy. For Coleman-Williams, the decision was tied to family history and the weight of carrying the Coleman name forward, a detail that gives the uniform change a little more resonance than the usual offseason number swap. It is the kind of move that says something about where a player feels he comes from, even before he makes his next catch. [Read more 🡒]
Kalen DeBoer Just Zeroed In On Alabamas Biggest Offensive Problem
Alabamas offseason conversation has centered on the same place it so often does when the Crimson Tide want to get back to their standard: the line of scrimmage. At SEC Media Days, Kalen DeBoer made it clear the staff is putting a premium on getting the rushing offense moving again in 2026, a priority that carries extra weight after a 2025 season in which Alabamas ground game never really found traction.
The numbers told the story, with the Tide averaging just 3.25 yards per rush and landing near the bottom of both the SEC and the national rushing charts. Alabama is hoping the answer comes from two directions at once, with current backs taking another step forward and incoming offensive line help giving the run game a better foundation, but the real test will be whether those pieces turn emphasis into production. [Read more 🡒]