16-in-16 2025: Alabama Crimson Tide
The Kalen DeBoer era got off to a disappointing 9-3 start that saw Alabama at home during the CFP. Will year two be any different?
By: Hammer
For a refresher on our ratings system, check out our 16-in-16 ratings guide here.
Year one under Kalen DeBoer was touch-and-go, by Alabama standards at least. In the program’s first season without Nick Saban prowling the sidelines, the Crimson Tide went 9-3. It was the first time Alabama lost three regular-season games since 2010. The losses all came on the road to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma. The two losses to Vandy and Oklahoma, who had a combined record of 12-12, is where most of the disappointment and ire came for DeBoer. Those are games that Alabama simply did not lose under the Saban regime.
When you take a step back, though, it’s clear this program still takes a backseat to no one in college football. DeBoer stepped in, late in the cycle in 2024, and was tasked with filling shoes that no one will ever fill. Despite the inconsistency and shocking upsets that we had forgotten Alabama could be susceptible to, the Tide finished just on the outside looking in to make the CFP. In fact, they finished ranked 11th in the final rankings, but were left out due to an automatic bid for ACC champion Clemson.
All things considered, one 9-3 season doesn’t diminish the type of program Alabama is, especially when considering DeBoer’s track record. Which leads us to our biscuit rating:
State of the Program: 10/12 biscuits. Top tier and feeling good. It won’t take much to see an SEC title appearance or win whole conference. This is Chick-Fil-A, it’s Saturday, and the minis are poppin’.
New coach, worst record since 2010, but still 10/12 biscuits? Yes, without a doubt. One 9-3 season will not knock Alabama off their pedestal. Kalen DeBoer is a proven winner, the roster remains as talented as ever, and the team should be adjusting to DeBoer the longer he is there. It will not take much for the 2025 Alabama team to make it to Atlanta for the SEC title game and they are a real threat to win the conference. According to Vegas, ‘Bama is the third favorite to win the league at 7-to-1, only behind Georgia and Texas. So yes, everyone who was burying Alabama a year ago and claiming, or perhaps hoping, that the dynasty was dead after Saban left, prepare to be disappointed. Will they ever reach the heights of the Saban era again? Unlikely. Are they still one of the undisputed best programs in the country? Yes, and a resounding yes. It will take several more years of underperformance and records below 9-3 to really exile Alabama from the college football pantheon.
The talent in Tuscaloosa remains elite. In 2024, Bama landed the second-ranked recruiting class according to 247Sports. With the most recent class of 2025, Alabama landed at third. So the talent acquisition is still as good as anyone in the country. DeBoer has been solid in the transfer portal as well, proving he can utilize both talent acquisition mechanisms. This program is still top tier, talented, and poised for a great season.
In terms of facilities and investment, Bama takes a back seat to no one. Bryant-Denny stadium year in and year out provides a phenomenal environment. On the NIL front, Alabama’s collectives Yea Alabama and the Tuscaloosa Connection doled out an estimated $15,995,406 in NIL payments last year, good enough for 5th in the SEC. The facilities in Tuscaloosa are still elite and as since 2019 Bama has been busy. The $600 million in upgrades to the Mal Moore Athletic Facility, Bryant-Denny Stadium and the Coleman Coliseum have included a new lobby, treatment facility, two level sports science center, and new football locker room. Bryant-Denny also got a new recruiting lounge, gameday locker room, additional premium seating areas, and a new video board.
DeBoer’s coaching staff is also highly thought of, and expensive. He hired Kane Wommack as his DC and Wommack was a sitting head coach at South Alabama before joining DeBoer’s staff. Wommack makes over $1.5 million annually. Ryan Grubb, who returned to college after a one year stint in the NFL is slated to make $1 million this fall. Furthermore, Alabama’s General Manager, Courtney Morgan, signed a record contract worth $825,000 per year, the highest for a GM in the sport. Suffice to say, Alabama is doing just fine on the facilities, NIL and investment front.
What went right in 2024?
How about we start with the fact that Alabama won nine games and narrowly missed the inaugural 12-team CFP? I know, I know. Talk to most Tide fans, and a nine-win season resulting in a ReliaQuest Bowl loss to Michigan is not something they think went “right.” But I want to commend DeBoer and his staff (we’ll get to what went wrong shortly) for doing what they did. Saban retired late, so the winter transfer portal was over. Alabama players could leave, but DeBoer did not have the chance to bring in transfers until post-spring. Plus, DeBoer and Saban are very different coaches. Trying to change, or rather, adapt a culture and team to a new voice, staff, and process is difficult for anyone, especially when the prior coach is unanimously considered the greatest coach of all time. If Saban was still the head coach, would they have gone 9-3? I don’t think so. However, I still believe in DeBoer and think he did a solid job last year, given the circumstances.
The defense was the strength of this team a year ago. First-year DC Kane Wommack had some issues, namely surrendering 40 points to Vanderbilt and 24 to Oklahoma, both resulting in losses. The entire body of work, however, landed Alabama 10th in points per game, allowing just 17.4 PPG. The pass defense performed better than the run defense, allowing just 182 yards per game through the air. The 2024 Tide defense also continued the Saban tradition of turning opponents over as Alabama led the country, averaging 2.2 turnovers per game. While DeBoer and the offense went through serious growing pains, Wommack’s defense steadied the ship and won this team games.
What went wrong in 2024?
Aside from a few games like Vandy, Georgia and Mizzou, the problem last season was the offense. Towards the second half of Saban’s illustrious tenure, the Alabama offense morphed into a well-oiled machine that churned out Heisman winners, All-Americans, and first-round NFL draft picks. Since Lane Kiffin revolutionized the Tide offense, Alabama consistently had one of the best offenses in college football. That was not the case in 2024. Overall, it wasn’t as bad as it felt. Alabama still finished with the 22nd-best scoring offense in the country, averaging 33.8 PPG. But those watching week in and week out saw how disjointed this offense looked at times. Alabama was painfully inconsistent, and their main weapon on offense became Jalen Milroe’s running ability. Having a mobile QB is a huge plus in modern college football; however, you need to be multidimensional. You also need to be able to run the ball with your tailbacks and connect with wide receivers in the passing game. Alabama could do neither consistently in 2024. Jalen Milroe really struggled to consistently hit receivers, especially on the road, and for some reason, the traditional run game never found its footing. Re-watch the Oklahoma and Tennessee games if you need a reminder for how badly this offense looked when a defense bottled up Milroe’s legs.
The bottom line is that in several games, including their three losses, the offense just looked lost. Perhaps it was Milroe not being the best fit for a DeBoer offense. Perhaps it was the pains of learning a new system for the players. Without being in the room and breaking down film with DeBoer, I can’t say what the root cause was. I can simply say that the offense let Alabama down in 2024, especially in key road games.
What Alabama needs in 2025
I’m sure it’s clear by now, but Alabama needs to be more consistent on offense in 2025. There were weeks where the Tide offense looked unstoppable in 2024, but then other weeks they looked like a high school team. That can’t happen in 2025, especially since DeBoer is an offensive guy. The reunion of DeBoer and his long-time offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb should really help things on that side of the ball. This goes hand in hand with having a more consistent offense, but Alabama also needs more consistent QB play. Currently, veteran Ty Simpson, Washington transfer and DeBoer recruit Austin Mack, and true freshman phenom Keelon Russell are competing for the starting job. General consensus seems to be that Ty Simpson will ultimately win the job, but I would not be surprised to see multiple QBs this fall for Alabama. Regardless of who is under center (or in the shotgun, rather), they need more consistency at the QB position. With the weapons Alabama has at wide receiver like Ryan Williams, Germie Bernard, Isaiah Horton, Jalen Hale, etc, it should be doable.
Simply having a more consistent QB should put Alabama in position to improve on their 9-3 record from a year ago. But to truly reach the heights and expectations of prior Bama teams, the offensive line and running backs will also need to improve. Having a more consistent passing attack should open up some running lanes for tailback Jam Miller. Speaking of Miller, the highly touted recruit is heading into his senior season and is poised for a stellar year. If Miller can cross the 1,000-yard mark in 2025, it would do wonders for this offense. They need a consistent run game, and who better to be the bell cow than Miller.
How they can earn some extra biscuits
Pretty simple: Win the SEC and make a CFP run. While I am a believer in DeBoer, his first season was a bit of a roller coaster. In his second year, back with his OC buddy Ryan Grubb, if Alabama can return to SEC and national prominence, then they’d get some extra biscuits. The Tide remain right in the discussion of the elite, hence the 10/12 biscuit rating, but could return quite easily to an 11 or 12 biscuit team if they get back to where they were under Nick Saban. A BIG year is coming for DeBoer and the Crimson Tide.
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