Kalen DeBoer Is Building His Own Alabama, And the Crimson Tide Is Starting to Look Dangerous

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When Kalen DeBoer accepted the Alabama job following Nick Saban’s retirement, he stepped into one of the most difficult situations imaginable in college football.

He wasn’t simply replacing another successful head coach.

He was replacing the greatest college football coach of all time at a program where championships had become the expectation rather than the dream. Every decision would be compared to Nick Saban.

Every loss would be magnified.

Every recruiting class, coaching hire, play call and press conference would be examined through the lens of what Alabama football had been for nearly two decades.

There was never going to be an easy transition.

But as Alabama enters October undefeated at 4-0 and 2-0 in SEC play, we may finally be reaching the point where it is time to stop constantly asking how DeBoer compares to Saban and start paying attention to what DeBoer himself is building in Tuscaloosa. Because this Alabama team is beginning to look dangerous.

The Crimson Tide has opened the 2026 season with wins over East Carolina, Kentucky, Florida State and South Carolina. Alabama officially sits at 4-0 after beating the Gamecocks 49-18 Saturday night, and the offense has scored at least 45 points in every game this season. According to Alabama Athletics, it is only the third time in program history Alabama has scored 45 or more points in each of its first four games and the first time since 2018. Alabama is also the first FBS program since LSU’s legendary 2019 team to accomplish that feat.

That is not insignificant.

There have absolutely been frustrating moments this season. Alabama’s slow starts against Kentucky and Florida State were concerning, especially considering what waits on the schedule later this fall. I have been critical of those starts because Alabama cannot expect to repeatedly fall behind good football teams and simply flip a switch.

But Saturday against South Carolina was different.

Alabama came out looking prepared, aggressive and confident.

Instead of spending the first half trying to find its rhythm, Alabama established control immediately. The Crimson Tide scored 14 points in the first quarter and another 21 in the second, taking a 35-10 advantage into halftime. It was Alabama’s highest-scoring first half in an SEC game under DeBoer and its largest halftime lead against an SEC opponent since 2022.

That was exactly the kind of development Alabama needed to show.

For all the discussion surrounding DeBoer, the most encouraging thing about this season may be that Alabama appears to be growing rather than simply surviving.

Young quarterback Keelon Russell is developing before our eyes. The offense is becoming increasingly explosive. The defense has repeatedly created game-changing plays. And perhaps most importantly, this team has already shown that it can respond when things aren't going according to plan.

Against Kentucky, Alabama found itself trailing 17-3 before eventually winning 45-17.

Against Florida State, another difficult first half forced the Crimson Tide to respond again.

Then against South Carolina, Alabama finally delivered the fast start everyone had been waiting to see.

That progression matters.

Coaching isn't simply about drawing up the perfect play. It is about identifying weaknesses and getting them corrected. It is about developing players throughout a season. It is about creating a team capable of handling adversity without allowing adversity to become its identity.

DeBoer's Alabama appears to be learning how to do that.

There is also something important happening with the identity of this program.

For the first couple of seasons following Saban's retirement, almost everything surrounding Alabama football naturally felt connected to what came before it. That was unavoidable. Saban built the standard. His fingerprints were everywhere.

But more of this roster now belongs to DeBoer and his staff.

More of these players were recruited specifically for the system Alabama is currently running. More of them have been developed inside DeBoer's program. The offensive identity is becoming clearer. The defensive personality is becoming clearer. And the culture is gradually becoming his.

That doesn't mean Alabama should abandon the standard Saban established.

Quite the opposite.

The standard at Alabama should always be championships.

But maintaining that standard does not require DeBoer to become another version of Saban. It requires him to build a program capable of accomplishing the same ultimate goal in his own way.

So far, 2026 is beginning to look like an important step in that direction.

DeBoer has also turned Bryant-Denny Stadium into an extremely difficult place for opponents. Following the South Carolina victory, Alabama noted that DeBoer is now 16-1 at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Now comes the part of the schedule that will tell us considerably more.

Alabama travels to Mississippi State on October 3 before hosting Georgia on October 10. After that comes a road trip to Tennessee, followed by Texas A&M at home. LSU waits in Baton Rouge in November before Alabama eventually closes the regular season against Auburn.

That stretch is where good teams separate themselves from championship teams. And Alabama still has questions to answer.

Can the Crimson Tide consistently start games the way it did against South Carolina? Can the offense continue producing when it faces elite SEC defenses? Can Russell remain composed when Alabama walks into hostile environments in Knoxville and Baton Rouge? Can the defense continue generating turnovers and getting off the field in critical situations?

We don't know those answers yet.

But through four games, Alabama has given its fans plenty of reasons to be encouraged.

This team is 4-0. It has scored at least 45 points every week. Its young quarterback continues to mature. Its defense has shown the ability to completely change games. And after weeks of criticism about slow starts, Alabama responded by putting 35 first-half points on an SEC opponent.

That is growth.

And ultimately, that may be the biggest reason for optimism surrounding Kalen DeBoer right now.

Alabama doesn't need to be playing its best football in September. It needs to be becoming its best football team. There is a difference.

The Crimson Tide isn't a finished product, and neither is the program DeBoer is building. There will almost certainly be adversity ahead. Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M and LSU will reveal much more about just how far Alabama has come.

But this no longer feels like a program simply trying to figure out life after Nick Saban. It feels increasingly like Kalen DeBoer's Alabama.

And if the growth we have seen through the first four weeks continues, this team may have an opportunity to accomplish something much bigger than simply starting the season 4-0.

The expectations in Tuscaloosa haven't changed.

Championships are still the standard.

And Kalen DeBoer may be building an Alabama team capable of chasing one.

Roll Tide. 

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