Former Alabama QB Exposes Brutal Reality for Kalen DeBoer

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Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer has been under intense scrutiny after since taking the Alabama job heading into 2024.

And that's understandable, considering that he was not only accepting responsibility for one of the most prestigious programs in the country, but also because he was succeeding an all-time great in Nick Saban.

Saban won six national championships during his time with the Crimson Tide and even brought an aura of invincibility to Tuscaloosa.

That shield has been aggressively wiped away the past couple of seasons, and while many are quick to blame DeBoer, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy thinks the issue goes far beyond 'Bama's head coach.

During a recent appearance on the Brandon Walker College Football Show, McElroy explained that the modern era of college football has made it far more difficult to build a perennial contender.

"Getting it back to the Saban level is almost untouchable and almost impossible because the era doesn't lend itself to stacking that type of depth," McElroy said. "So like you lay down in a game now, you can't get replaced because you are clearly the best guy. Back in Saban's day, there was a natural built in level of accountability that if you don't perform you are replaced because the number two, in some ways, is every bit as good as the one and they just maybe haven't had the experience. It is difficult to create that same type of culture and consistency."

NIL has absolutely changed the college football landscape in irreversible ways, and that is no fault of DeBoer.

The harsh reality is that DeBoer is between a rock and a hard place. He's never going to have the opportunity to replicate what Saban achieved, but Alabama fans have come to expect it … even if it's not realistic.

"I think if you look at Alabama over the last couple of years, just relative to what we have come to expect from the Tide, they haven't been as talented," McElroy added. "I don't know what else to say. I just think this year's roster is a little bit more capable and maybe a little bit better across the board, so it is going to lead to a little bit better consistent performance." 

McElroy does think this year's Alabama squad is a bit more talented than DeBoer's first two iterations, but will it be enough for the Crimson Tide to actually compete for a national title? We're about to find out.

Alabama will open its season against East Carolina this Saturday.

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