Alabama football, Kalen DeBoer up against a surprisingly familiar face in Saturday's opener

Saturday will mark Kalen DeBoer's official debut as Alabama football head coach. It will also mark his first time facing Western Kentucky as a head coach.

For Alabama, though, Saturday will mark its fourth time facing the Hilltoppers , and its third time facing quarterback TJ Finley, who was named as Western Kentucky's starter on Monday. Finely has previous playing stops at LSU, Auburn and Texas State and has yet to get a win over Alabama during his collegiate career.

"We are familiar with who he is because of different places he has played and even some of our staff having competed against him," DeBoer said on Wednesday during the Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference. "So, you're trying to translate that into what you see for a schematic standpoint for Western Kentucky."

Finley began his collegiate career at LSU during the 2020 season, appearing in five games for the Tigers, going 80-for-140 with 941 yards and five touchdowns. Alabama defeated LSU 55-17 in 2020, with Finley throwing for 144 yards and one touchdown in the contest.

Finley then transferred to Auburn, where he spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Tigers. Finely played in nine games for Auburn in 2021, including the 24-22 loss to Alabama, where he threw for 127 yards and two touchdowns. He did not play in the 49-27 loss to Alabama the next year.

Finley transferred again, to Texas State, ahead of the 2023 season. Finley started in all 13 games for the Bobcats, going 279-for-414 with 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns while being intercepted eight times. He also added 81 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Finley did not face Alabama at Texas State, but did go up against now-defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, who was the head coach of South Alabama. The two teams played Nov. 25, with Texas State winning 52-44.

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Wommack referred to the 6-foot-7 Finley a "big son of a gun," on Monday.

“Really impressed with him a year ago," Wommack said. "I thought he’s got a really good release. He can make all the throws. I thought he did a really good job of managing their offense really well. Took what was given early but can work through a progression. And so it’ll be interesting to see how Tyson and their staff utilize him maybe different than what GJ Kinne did or the Auburn staff before that or whatever it may be. But I think he’s got a skillset that you can utilize in a number of different ways."

Kickoff for Saturday night's game is slated for 6:05 p.m. CT. The game will be aired on ESPN.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football, Kalen DeBoer up against a surprisingly familiar face in Saturday's opener