16-in-16 2024: Alabama Crimson Tide
A new era dawns in Tuscaloosa as Nick Saban has exited the stage. Can Kalen DaBoer live up to the Bama Standard?
By: Dave in Tuscaloosa
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The day that Alabama fans have dreaded for years has come and gone, as the Nick Saban era officially ended in January with the legendary coach’s retirement. Bama moved swiftly and hired a true winner in 49-year-old coach Kaelen DeBoer, and after an early exodus of players through the transfer portal (Bama lost a total of 31 players), the reports around the program have been very positive. DeBoer’s overall record as a head coach is an impressive 104-12, which includes a 14-1 record last year and a national runner-up finish with the Washington Huskies. His relaxed demeanor combined with rave reviews from current players to a high level of success on the recruiting trail have given hope to Bama Nation that, perhaps, the Tide’s days of competing for SEC and national titles are indeed not in the rearview mirror. Still, expectations are tempered for the 2024 season as Coach DeBoer and his new staff get used to life in the newly expanded SEC.
State of the Program: 11/12 biscuits. Elite. Flip between one and two in your division each year and you aren’t going anywhere. You’re here to stay, like Hardee’s biscuits. Or Popeye’s. Or Bojangles.
The only reason this is not at 12 biscuits is because Nick Saban no longer roams the sidelines. Make no mistake, Alabama remains the standard in college football and is in great shape moving forward. Most media outlets have Alabama finishing third in the conference behind Georgia and newcomer Texas. Also in the mix for conference supremacy will be Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels, Tennessee, and many are high on Drink’s Missouri Tigers. Bama fans are cautioned not to sleep on LSU and Auburn looks to be improved after a disappointing season in Hugh Freeze’s debut. All of the above-mentioned teams, outside of Texas and Ole Miss, appear on Alabama’s schedule, making DeBoer’s first season in Tuscaloosa challenging.
However, DeBoer inherits a talented roster of veterans, transfers, and newcomers that have Tide Nation optimistic about defending their conference title and making the newly expanded 12-team playoff. DeBoer will be working with the most talent he has ever had on a roster, which includes last year’s Washington squad led by quarterback Michael Penix Jr. that beat Texas and lost only to Michigan in the national championship game.
What went right in 2023?
Alabama lost in the college football semifinal game in overtime to eventual national champion Michigan, so a lot went right. After a rocky start to the season, Jalen Milroe and the Alabama offense found their footing and ended up with the 24th-best offense in the country. Not quite as powerful as we had been accustomed to in an Alabama offense, but plenty good. The defense was similarly very good, ranked 16th in the country but perhaps not quite as good as the Bama standard. I think when fans look back at the 2023 Alabama team and what went right, it will really boil down to just being a solid team. They had flaws, especially for Alabama’s standards, but the overall team was great. They played hard, played together, and improved game after game all year. A true testament to Nick Saban, his staff, and the players.
What went wrong in 2023?
The offense and defense both failed to meet the impossible standards of prior Alabama teams. That’s why they didn’t live up to the ultimate Bama standard and win a national title. But the things that actually went wrong were pretty minimal overall. Jalen Milroe was inconsistent at times throwing the ball, especially early in the year. The wide receiver unit never quite came together and had their own inconsistencies in getting open and making plays. Couple that with an inconsistent offensive line, and that’s where most of the problems came from. They just never quite had enough discipline and consistency on offense. There would be good games, and then there would be rough games (like USF) so if we are to pull out our magnifying glass and nitpick here, the offense was the main thing that went wrong in 2023.
What the Tide need in 2024
DeBoer is well known for his high-powered, multiple offense and he inherits excellent talent on that side of the ball with six starters returning. Perhaps DeBoer’s first victory after arriving in Tuscaloosa was keeping junior quarterback Jalen Milroe at Alabama, as the multi-talented signal caller had a breakthrough season for the Tide in ’23. Milroe’s season started slow but he progressed throughout the year into one of the nation’s top signal callers. This season, he will need to complement his ability to hit the deep ball by improving his play in the short and medium-range passing game. New offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, who was DeBoer’s tight end coach at Washington last season, inherits a deep and talented quarterback room as Milroe is backed by sophomore Ty Simpson and freshman Dylan Longerman. Another freshman, Austin Mack, followed DeBoer from Washington to Alabama and has earned rave reviews since stepping on campus. At the running back position, Bama lost their top two ball carriers as Jace McClellan and Roydell Williams have moved on from Tuscaloosa. Sophomore returner Justice Haynes and junior Jam Miller offer a formidable one-two punch and have Bama fans excited about the running game.
Offensive line play has been inconsistent the past two years, and this year’s crew must make strides for DeBoer’s offense to click. The good news is that the Tide could have the best interior line in the country. Washington sophomore transfer Parker Brailsford had a stellar freshman campaign for the Huskies and he will be partnered with junior guards Tyler Booker and Jaeden Roberts. If sophomore tackles Elijah Pritchett and Kadyn Proctor gel, the line will be a strength for the Tide. Questions abound for the receiving corps, as the unit was decimated by the transfer portal. Junior veterans Kendrick Law and Kobe Prentice will team up with junior Washington transfer Germie Bernard and five-star newcomer Ryan Williams in hopes of creating a dynamic unit that will produce downfield opportunities. Senior tight ends C.J. Dippre and Robbie Ouzts could create match-up problems for opposing defenses. Gone is record-setting placekicker Will Reichard, however Miami (Ohio) senior transfer Graham Nicholson, the reigning Lou Groza award winner, made 27 of 28 attempts last season and looks to continue his stellar career for the Tide. Senior punter James Burnip was an unsung hero for Alabama last year, and he returns after averaging an impressive 43.3 yards per punt in 2023.
Defensively, former South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack enters his first season as defensive coordinator, and he inherits six starters from a unit that ranked 16th in the nation in 2023. The defense will shift from Saban’s 3-4 to a 4-2-5, and Wommack will rely on a strong mix of veterans and newcomers for 2024. Like their offensive counterparts, the defensive line has been inconsistent throughout the last few seasons, yet talent abounds. The unit is led by juniors TJ Overton and Tim Keenan and seniors Tim Smith and Quandarrius “Que” Robinson. Look for freshman Keon Keeley, the gem of the Tide’s 2023 recruiting class, to make an impact. Linebacker looks to be a strength of the defense and the unit will be led by junior veterans Deontae Lawson and Jihaad Campbell. Questions abound in the secondary, which returns senior safety Malachi Moore as the only starter. Michigan junior transfer Keon Sabb has been impressive in the early part of preseason and look for him to fill the other safety spot vacated when freshman all-American Caleb Downs transferred to Ohio State. The corners will be manned by juniors DaVanta Smith, Deshawn Jones, and Domani Jackson. Look for true freshman Jaylen Mbakwe and Zavier Mincey to earn valuable minutes on the corners as well.
How they can earn some extra biscuits
Compete for an SEC title and make noise in the playoff. The schedule is a bear. Road contests against Wisconsin, Tennessee, LSU, and Oklahoma will be a challenge, as will home tilts against Georgia, upstart Missouri, and Auburn. The Tide does begin the DeBoer era with home games against Western Kentucky from Conference USA and American Conference contender South Florida, a team that pushed Bama to the brink last season. Bama fans, who are used to national championship runs on a yearly basis, may have to show patience as DeBoer and company get their legs underneath them. Still, talent is overflowing in Tuscaloosa and if the Tide can develop depth all over the field, defending their SEC crown and a playoff appearance are well within reach.
So if Bama wants to return to the rarefied air of 12 biscuits, do what Saban would have done. Get to Atlanta and into the playoff and be at least one of the last four remaining teams and you just might earn another biscuit.
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