Kalen DeBoer’s move to replace Nick Saban at Alabama was always going to come with scrutiny. That’s the nature of stepping into the shoes of a legend.
And while DeBoer has already proven he can guide the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff - including a gritty road win in the first round - the spotlight is only getting hotter as he heads into Year 3. Why?
Because for all the highs, the four losses last season exposed some serious cracks in the foundation.
Let’s start with the most glaring issue: the run game. Alabama struggled to establish any real rhythm on the ground, and that inconsistency had a ripple effect across the offense. But just behind that on the list of concerns was pass protection - particularly late in the season when key veterans like tight end Josh Cuevas and running back Jam Miller were sidelined.
Cuevas, who followed DeBoer from Washington to Tuscaloosa, didn’t sugarcoat it when he spoke at the Senior Bowl with Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman. His message was clear: the protection problems weren’t just about talent.
They were about communication. And that’s something that should raise eyebrows heading into the offseason.
“I can tell you right now,” Cuevas said, “our communication up front - whether it be O-line, tight ends, just stuff like that - protections checks and stuff from the quarterback can get tremendously better. I think we had a little bit of trouble handling pressure and blitzes and stuff from defenses all year.”
That kind of honesty is rare, especially from a player preparing for the NFL Draft. But it also sheds light on a deeper issue.
Alabama wasn’t just getting beat physically - they were getting beat mentally. Blitzes weren’t being picked up.
Pressure was getting home. And sometimes, the quarterback wasn’t making the right checks.
Cuevas even pointed to quarterback Ty Simpson as part of the problem. That’s notable, because Simpson had a solid year stepping into the starting role after sitting behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe.
He showed flashes of high-level play and often got the offense into the right calls. But there were also moments - like when DeBoer had to burn timeouts because the play clock was winding down - that suggested the mental load may have been too much, too soon.
It’s a tough spot for any first-year starter, especially in DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s pro-style system, which asks a lot of its quarterbacks at the line of scrimmage. Simpson handled most of it well, but the margin for error in the SEC is razor thin. And when protection breaks down, it’s rarely just one person’s fault - but the quarterback is always part of the equation.
Looking ahead, Alabama’s offense will be even younger in 2026. Simpson, Cuevas, and Miller are all off to the NFL.
That means a new quarterback - likely Austin Mack or redshirt freshman Keelon Russell - will be taking the reins. And if the Tide had trouble with communication up front last year, it’s a real concern heading into a season with another first-year starter under center.
There’s some optimism that roster changes on the offensive line could help. DeBoer and general manager Courtney Morgan are bringing in talent.
But Cuevas’ comments make one thing clear: talent alone won’t fix this. If the communication issues persist - if protections aren’t clean, if blitz pickups are missed, if quarterbacks are overloaded - Alabama could find itself in the same frustrating spot next season.
DeBoer has proven he can win big games. But to win championships, the details have to be sharper.
The protection has to be cleaner. The quarterback has to be more comfortable.
And the entire offense has to be on the same page. That’s the challenge in Tuscaloosa right now - not just replacing stars, but fixing the cracks that cost them last year.