Jumbo Package: Kalen DeBoer talks spring injuries, new coaching staff
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Happy Gump Day, everyone. Kalen DeBoer spoke to media yesterday and covered a wide range of topics, starting with spring injuries.
Alabama linebacker Jah-Marien Latham is out for the spring as he recovers from a 2025 neck injury. Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack confirmed Latham’s return to the Crimson Tide to The Tuscaloosa News in January. Alabama will also be without defensive lineman London Simmons and offensive lineman William Sanders in the spring.
Reigning first-team All-SEC safety Bray Hubbard, DeBoer said, will be “limited contact.”
DeBoer said there’s “nothing new, nothing new that’s happened in practice the first couple days.” And when it comes to A-Day and Alabama’s ability to “put on a good show” and actually scrimmage after two position groups were ravaged in 2025, DeBoer said “we’re in a different spot this year.”
Kalen seems pleased with his new coaching staff.
To replace them, Kalen DeBoer hired Richard Owens, Derrick Nix and Adrian Klemm. Owens is coaching the tight ends, Nix the receivers and Klemm the offensive line.
“I think we had great coaches that were here that I really appreciate and opportunities for them to move on, which they deserve,” DeBoer said Tuesday after the second practice. “And just coming in, three guys on offense, Nix, Owens and Klemm, just, I think there’s a mindset that they have, experience factor that they have. Whether it’s at this level or the NFL, and they know what it’s supposed to look like.”
Recently renamed Ryan Coleman-Williams has stepped into a leadership role at the receiver position.
“He’s taken that on,” DeBoer said Tuesday, March 10. “He’s taking a leadership role in order to lead and be vocal like he has. It’s in him. He brings just an energy and enthusiasm that you all see. It’s non-stop. But in order to do that, you have to work. He’s always done the work, and I really feel like he sees an opportunity. He continues to raise the work, raise the level and be efficient in it, because he’s always worked, but I think where he’s focusing that attention, it’s really intentional. It’s really great to see his leadership capabilities.”
Coleman-Williams regressed in 2025. With Germie Bernard taking the spotlight of consistency in the Alabama pass game, Coleman-Williams added 689 receiving yards, four touchdowns and an average of less than 50 receiving yards per game.
But in the midst of struggles, DeBoer saw a receiver in Coleman-Williams who “took a big step.”
Sounds like Caleb Woodson is going to be a starter.
“Bringing in Caleb as a captain-type guy, his leadership coming in has been certainly noted and appreciated,” DeBoer said. “Those guys all together, learning things together. Just excited. They’re hungry, just like any of the other positions we’re talking about. Like the offensive line, there’s a lot of new faces there for opportunities.”
Woodson was second in tackles among Hokie players last season with 58, including 2.5 for loss. He spent three seasons in Blacksburg, leaving Virginia Tech with 151 tackles, three pass breakups, two sacks and one interception.
The Crimson Tide hasn’t put on pads for its first two spring practices. It will return to the field on Thursday.
DeBoer plans some sort of scrimmage at this year’s A Day event.
“We always want a scrimmage and have a great spring game. Last year we just had two positions in particular (with injury problems). We wouldn’t have been able to put on a good show. We needed to get something out of the practices,” DeBoer said. “Unfortunately that’s where we were at a year ago. I think we’re in a different spot this year.”
The death of the spring game as a concept seemed to be sweeping across college football last year as a number of Power Four schools did what Alabama did, albeit citing a broad variety of reasons. The reason given at Nebraska, for instance, was that a spring game invited roster poaching via the NCAA spring transfer portal.
Brandon Marcello of CBS sees an identiy crisis for Alabama.
We wrote about this previously in our piece previewing the most interesting storylines across the country this spring, but it bears repeating: Alabama is facing an identity crisis under Kalen DeBoer. He won 11 games, including a playoff game after losing in the SEC Championship, in his second season, but he also planted a few red flags heading into 2026. Alabama couldn’t run the ball effectively last season, ranking 125th (104.1 yards per game), which placed too much pressure on QB Ty Simpson and led to a trio of embarrassing losses: at home to Oklahoma, in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia and against Indiana in the CFP. This spring is all about rekindling some toughness within the Tide’s program. It doesn’t help that four starting offensive linemen are gone, and Simpson is off to the NFL, but maybe a fresh start is what Alabama needs on offense.
Last, “anonymous coach” stories always amuse.
In an anonymous coach’s poll done by The Athletic, an anonymous SEC assistant coach talked about how much influence the show led by Rece Davis, Nick Saban, and Kirk Herbstreit truly has.
“Whatever is said on “GameDay” is like gold because now more than ever the fan support matters more than anything else,“ the coach said.
The fan support is paying the bills. It always has, but even more so now. You’ve got to keep those guys happy and they get their information from those guys on “College GameDay.” If Kirk Herbstreit said some guy is doing a really good job, they’re going to believe it. If they say he’s not doing a good job, they’re going to believe it. Right, wrong or indifferent, whatever is said they’re going to believe it.”
None of you can form your own opinions, you’re just Herbie lemmings.
That’s about it for now. Have a great day.
Roll Tide.
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