SEC coach casts doubts over Kalen DeBoer's success at Alabama in post-Jalen Milroe era

Kalen DeBoer hasn't yet won over critics at Alabama. How the 2024 season ended certainly didn't help him. The Crimson Tide not only failed to qualify for the College Football Playoff, but also couldn't make an appearance in the SEC championship and lost its ReliaQuest Bowl appearance to the Michigan Wolverines.

While another team's fanbase would've been happy with a 9-4 finish, with a No. 17th pick in the AP Poll, standards are set higher at Tuscaloosa. It was always to be expected that the season following Nick Saban's retirement would see a drop in performance, but the Alabama fandom will always demand more.

Now, looking into the 2025 season, the biggest decision for Kalen DeBoer before the start of the campaign is who will be his quarterback. This will give him the space to create the type of offense he likes to manage, and that could allow them to become truly competitive again. A recent comment by an anonymous SEC coach seems to confirm this is the consensus in the league:

“The biggest question will be quarterback, obviously,” the coach told Athlon Sports. “But they have a really solid offensive line, and the roster doesn’t have any obvious holes to fill. They’re going to compete for a playoff spot for sure.”

The coach also highlighted that bringing in the staff who worked the offense with him at Washington will also help Kalen DeBoer.

“Ryan Grubb coming over will make the offense better,” the SEC coach said. “[Nick] Sheridan’s going to focus on development; he helped find and develop [Michael] Penix [Jr.] at Indiana.”

Who will be Alabama's quarterback in 2025? Looking at Kalen DeBoer's options

Ty Simpson, Keelon Russell, and Austin Mack are the players currently locked in a battle to become the next starting quarterback at Alabama. In early May, DeBoer did state that he was leaning towards the more veteran Ty Simpson, who has been with the program for three seasons. However, he hasn't completely made up his mind. While he has played in 10 games over the years, the former five-star recruit is yet to make his first start.

Austin Mack is a former four-star recruit who initially joined the University of Washington in 2023, but jumped over to Alabama when DeBoer made the change. Keelon Russell is the Crimson Tide's latest addition at quarterback, with the former five-star being the second-highest ranked quarterback and overall player of the class of 2025.