How Kalen DeBoer’s inaugural season at Alabama was assessed by College Sports Wire

To keep things simple, the Alabama Crimson Tide’s results from this past season were not necessarily what a large portion of the fanbase is used to.

In year one of the post-Nick Saban era, head coach Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide concluded the season with a 9-4 overall record, which was the program’s worst since a 7-6 mark back in 2007. Alabama also finished with a 5-3 record in SEC play, missing both the SEC Championship Game and the 12-team College Football Playoff entirely.

So yes, it’s easy to see why this might have been a disappointing year for Alabama overall. However, if you had to give a grade for Alabama’s 2024 season, what would you do?

Well, we here at Roll Tide Wire have already done so previously, but what do others think, in particular, College Sports Wire?

According to Patrick Conn of College Sports Wire, Alabama and head coach Kalen DeBoer receive a grade of ‘C-‘ for the 2024 season.

“Replacing a legend the likes of Nick Saban is never easy,” Conn said. “It becomes increasingly difficult given how Saban is viewed as the greatest head coach of all time. But even the great Saban had a rough first season in Tuscaloosa. There were moments where it appeared that the Crimson Tide under DeBoer would be just fine but those dreams were quickly dashed with losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. What DeBoer does next will determine how restless the fans in Tuscaloosa will be with him running the program.”

Looking ahead to 2025, DeBoer and the Crimson Tide could be under some pressure to have a bounce back year, and based on what Alabama has coming back, combined with multiple impact newcomers, there is certainly reason to believe the program will do just that.

Alabama will officially open the 2025 season on the road later this year, traveling to Florida State on Aug. 30.