“Bama’s no longer in the talking phase”: CFB insider shares why Kalen DeBoer & Co. are bound to win in 2025

College football insider JD Pickell of On3 thinks the Alabama Crimson Tide are poised to win in 2025.

Alabama had a disappointing year as the Crimson Tide failed to make the playoffs and were upset in their bowl game by Michigan. It was the first year of Kalen DeBoer and it did not got as planned.

Yet, entering 2025, Alabama didn't lose a single player in the spring transfer portal, which Pickell shows that the Crimson Tide are bound to win this upcoming season.

"Bama’s no longer in the talking phase. They are in the commitment phase; they have determined what they are going to be," Pickell said at 1:35. "Foundationally, things are set, also we shouldn't turn a blind eye to the reality that they kept this roster together at a free 99 price point. It wasn't long ago, Bama was on the frontlines, saying, 'Hey we need a little more cashflow here, we need a little more NIL commitment.

"It seems that was taken care of if you are keeping a lot of your team intact past the spring portal... Now we are getting back to talking about talent. Being able to win games we are supposed to win."

Pickell believes Alabama has built a good foundation of talent and players that they can build off of in 2025.

Entering the 2025 college football season, Alabama has the sixth-best odds of winning the national championship.

Alabama DC praises Kalen DeBoer after no players transfer

The spring transfer portal opened and closed without any scholarship players from the Alabama Crimson Tide entering the portal.

It was a great sign for what DeBoer is building in Alabama, and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack praised the head coach.

“I think Kalen does a tremendous job,” said Wommack earlier this week in an interview with WNSP 105.5 FM, via On3. “He’s very proactive, very engaging. He’s very relational with people. Certainly, he understands the business side of this game, but he also keeps the main thing, the main thing, right. We are trying to bring out the best in these young men to maximize their opportunities as individuals and our opportunities as a team, and those things go hand in hand."

The Crimson Tide opens its 2025 college football season against Florida State on August 30. Alabama has notable games against Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, South Carolina, and Auburn among tohers.