Jumbo Package: Where Bruce Feldman sees Kalen DeBoer in the SEC pecking order
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Happy Gump Day, everyone. Bruce Feldman was all over Michigan’s pursuit of Kalen DeBoer in the offseason, and he believes that the national perception of Kalen is much higher than that of most Alabama fans.
“I think it’s probably better nationally than it is locally…” Feldman said. “Kalen DeBoer has done more than Steve Sarkisian, and he’s done more than Lane Kiffin.”
Feldman explained DeBoer inherited a four-win team back in Washington before quickly turning it into a national contender. He also highlighted DeBoer’s winning run at Fresno State.
DeBoer coached Washington from 2022 through 2023 and earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors in both seasons. He guided the Huskies to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2023 after winning the Pac-12 title. Washington also finished with 14 victories that season, the highest single-season total in school history.
That remarkable stretch became one of the biggest reasons Alabama chose him to succeed Saban.
“I think he’s a really, really good coach,” Feldman added. “You look at his record against top teams, Sark’s record against top teams, Lane’s record, they’re not even close to what Kalen DeBoer has done.”
Following Nick Saban is a tall order.
Keelon Russell for Heisman? Of course! It’s Gump Day!
First, Russell must win the quarterback job. He’s in a battle with veteran backup Austin Mack, who has more experience, but if Alabama is going to make the playoff, it needs a quarterback with superstar potential. That’s Russell.
A former five-star recruit, he’s a dual threat who outperformed Mack in the spring game. As Alabama defensive back Bray Hubbard put it, if you want to know how good Russell’s arm is, close your eyes and listen to him throw. The ball sizzles.
Helping Keelon’s candidacy will be EJ Crowell, here to rescue Alabama’s run game.
Alabama’s ground game ranked among the worst in the country in 2025, and Crowell is the most anticipated answer to that problem.
The 5-foot-11, 210-pound true freshman reclassified from the 2027 class and won Alabama Mr. Football and Gatorade Player of the Year honors after rushing for 2,632 yards and 35 touchdowns on 209 carries last season.
He missed most of spring practice with an injury but is expected to be full go in fall camp.
With Jam Miller gone, the backfield is open. Crowell is expected to enter the rotation immediately and could develop into the featured back by midseason, giving Kalen DeBoer’s offense a downhill runner it has been missing.
Luke Metz is a contender for the coveted linebacker spot next to Caleb Woodson.
Metz is part of the group of contenders for playing time, and depending on how things shake out, he could end up being one of the primary snap recipients. Virginia Tech transfer Caleb Woodson seems to have emerged as the top option for one spot, but who fills the other? Metz is competing with players such as QB Reese, Cayden Jones, Duke Johnson II, Abduall Sanders Jr. and freshman Xavier Griffin, a Jihaad-Campbell type who can (and likely will at times) play off the edge.
So where does Metz fit? He’s got a shot for playing time, especially if A-Day is any indication. Early in the scrimmage, he knocked down a pass on third-and-2, rushing untouched up the middle. Metz also stopped Daniel Hill short of the goal line on first-and-goal from the 3-yard line.
Hunter De Siver weighed in on the basketball roster after Anderson Diaz reclassified.
It’s uncertain at this time what freshmen wings Jaxon Richardson, Qayden Samuels and Tarris Bouie will be listed as on the official roster, but point guard isn’t likely for any of them.
Holloway’s position is known, but his status for next season is not. He entered a second-chance program a little over a month ago as part of a plea agreement for his two felony drug charges. Should the 21-year-old complete 50 hours of community service, pass drug and alcohol screenings and pay fines, the case will be dismissed. That doesn’t necessarily guarantee that he will be reinstated on the team, though.
Murphy served as a walk-on for a good chunk of last season. The son of Alabama assistant Preston Murphy Sr. appeared in eight games, averaging 1.9 minutes. He mostly came in during the final moments of blowouts, but there were a couple of occasions when Oats subbed him in for more defensive intensity. Regardless, he doesn’t have much experience.
ESPN staff collaborated on an outstanding longform on the Brendan Sorsby saga and the scarred relationships between Texas Tech and its conference mates.
“For whatever reason,” Ron Slavin, Sorsby’s agent, said, “the world melted down like college football was ruined forever.”
The two-month drama over Sorsby’s eligibility triggered a series of disputes: Texas Tech vs. the NCAA, Sorsby vs. the NCAA, the Big 12 vs. Texas Tech and eventually Sorsby vs. the NFL. Emotions within the Big 12 were high, and sources told ESPN that the league athletic directors wanted to hold Texas Tech accountable in some way if the school ultimately played Sorsby. It was a fight over critical moral, ethical and legal issues, as the Big 12 later described it in a court filing, and it came with a significant toll.
As Texas Tech takes the podium Tuesday for Big 12 media days, its reputation as a football program and institution has taken an undeniable hit. The Big 12’s relationship with its new powerhouse has, too. NCAA president Charlie Baker called the district court loss “a new low” for these turbulent times. The incident further exposed the NCAA’s inability to enforce its own rules but also showed a blueprint for how a conference might legally flex when needed. Sorsby is out millions of dollars, and his playing career is on hold. There were few winners to be found by the end of this affair.
Last, speaking of the Big 12…
The Big 12 is preparing to announce one of the most sweeping conference sponsorship agreements in college sports history.
The league has finalized a multiyear deal with Monster Energy worth around $20M annually to make the company the “entitlement partner” of the Big 12 football and men’s and women’s basketball regular seasons, Sports Business Journal has learned.
The agreement centers on two marquee assets: a co-branded Big 12/Monster jersey patch that teams will wear in football and men’s and women’s basketball, and co-branded field and court logos that will appear on playing surfaces.
The Big 12 football and men’s and women’s basketball regular seasons will also be dubbed “Monster Energy Big 12 Football” and “Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball.”
So they are going to rename the two revenue sport seasons, alter the playing surfaces and put patches on the uniforms for a whopping $1.25M per school. And they want to call themselves a “power” league.
That’s about it for now. Have a great day.
Roll Tide.
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