Scouting the opponent: Alabama Crimson Tide

It’s still Tennessee vs. Alabama. It’s still the third Saturday in October. But this one will feel different without Nick Saban on the sidelines when the Crimson Tide come to Knoxville this fall.

Saban’s retirement was the story of the offseason in college football. One of the biggest in the entire sporting world.

Now everyone is waiting to see if Kalen DeBoer is up to the job of carrying on an incredible legacy at a program that has dominated college football for going on two decades.

The roster still has plenty of talent, and Alabama’s standards being what they are, DeBoer probably shouldn’t expect a honeymoon period.

The last time Alabama came to Knoxville Josh Heupel got a win that cemented his status as ‘the man’ for the Tennessee faithful. The Vols will be out for a repeat on Oct. 19.

2023 record : 12-2 (8-0 SEC)

Head coach : Kalen DeBoer (104-12 record overall, 25-7 in NCAA, entering 1st year at Alabama)

SEASON OUTLOOK: ALABAMA OFFENSE

The quarterback position is set with returning starter Jalen Milroe in place under center. Milore is a spectacular athlete but a still developing passer.

He threw for 2,834 yards last season wile completing 65% of his throws with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Milroe is also a dangerous runner and his legs have been a big part of the offense. He had 161 rushing attempts last season for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns.

It will be interesting to see how the offensively innovative DeBoer tries to utilize Milroe’s skill set.

Bama had a run of several years when they were an NFL feeder program for receivers. That run is over.

Isaiah Bond, last year’s second leading receiver, transferred out, as did tight end Amari Nilbick. Both went to Texas.

Kobe Prentice (18 rec., 314 yards, 2 TDs) and Kendrick Law (15 rec., 135 yards) are the two most experienced receivers coming back for the Tide.

Germie Bernard (34 rec., 419 yards, 2 TDs in 2023) followed DeBoer from Washington and will get a shot at immediate playing time.

Five-star freshman Ryan Williams was not an early enrollee, but will definitely have a chance of getting on the field this fall due to the lack of proven depth at wideout.

The ground game burdens should be shouldered by Justice Hayes and Jemarrion Miller.

Hayes, the former five-star recruit, didn’t get much work as a freshman, but averaged 6.7 yards on 25 attempts. Miller rushed for 201 yards on 40 carries.

Up front Alabama got a tremendous boost when freshman All-American left tackle Kaydn Proctor transferred to Iowa and then transferred back to Alabama in a bizarre twist.

The Tide lost a couple of key offensive linemen to the portal who did not return.

The interior took some big hits when last year’s starting center Seth McLaughlin transferred to Ohio State. Then his presumed replacement, James Brockmeyer, transferred after spring practice.

The center spot should be fine though with Parker Brailsford following DeBoer from Washington. The guards are manned by returning starters Jaeden Roberts and All-SEC performer Tyler Roberts.

Proctor has left tackle nailed down while right tackle might be a camp competition.

Despite their record last season and an offense that scored 34 points per game, the Alabama offensive line had some issues.

The Crimson Tide were a very average running team, picking up 172 yards per game on the ground and 4.4 yards per carry, middle of the pack SEC numbers.

More surprisingly, they were an atrocious pass blocking front. Alabama gave up an eye-popping 49 sacks last fall, the highest total in the SEC.

SEASON OUTLOOK: ALABAMA DEFENSE

Alabama was typically salty on defense last fall, giving up 316 yards per game, the second lowest total in the SEC.

There will be a shift as Alabama moves from Saban’s 3-4 scheme to new defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s 4-2-5 look.
There were some massive departures in the offseason, most notably All-World safety Caleb Downs bolting for Ohio State, but the cupboard is hardly bare on the defensive side of the football in Tuscaloosa.

Starting up front there may not be any superstars on the defensive line, but Alabama has solid depth and experience back in the interior. Tim Smith, Tim Keenan and Damon Payne Jr. have all played a lot of SEC football.

Alabama lost a couple of edge playmakers to the NFL in Dallas Baker and Chris Braswell.

Quandarius Robinson and Jah-Marian Latham will move into the starting line-up at those spots, but that looks like a drop off.

Staying at edge, LT Overton is a former five-star recruit who transferred in from Texas A&M. Keon Keely was a big time recruit for the Tide who didn’t play last year as a freshman.

The Tide bring back two of their top tacklers from last season in linebackers Deontae Lawson (67 tackles, 5.5 TFLs) and Jihaad Campbell (66 tackles, 4.0 TFLs). Those two will be leaned on heavily on a unit that lost some difference makers off last year’s squad.

The secondary took some big hits. Downs was that rare freshman who was as good as advertised, leading the team in tackles in his first college season.

How do you replace a guy like that? You don’t, at least not without some fall off in performance.

Alabama also lost it’s two starting cornerbacks to the NFL draft and lost four other cornerbacks to transfer. There is one cornerback on the roster from last season, Jahil Hurley, who didn’t play last season.

So it’s safe to say the secondary is in flux.

Incoming five-star freshman Zavien Brown is going to have a chance to start at one corner spot while USC transfer Domani Jackson is a presumed starter on the other side. Alabama also landed Wake Forest transfer Deshawn Jones to the cornerback spot.

Veteran Malichi Moore –who has seemingly been in Tuscaloosa forever–is the only returning starter in the secondary, but he’s a good one. Moore has played both the nickel and safety spots in his career and was a team captain last season.

Saying that the Alabama kicking game is in good hands (oxymoron?) seems like an understatement.

All the Tide did here was add Miami of Ohio’s Graham Nicholson via the portal. Last season’s Lou Groza Award winner made 27-of-28 field goals in 2023. He was 10-of-11 on kicks outside of 40 yards and made his only 50+ attempt.

James Burnip averaged 47.9 yards per punt last season and is one of the best in the nation.

FINAL OUTLOOK

DeBoer is probably going to be under more scrutiny than any head coach in the country this season as he replaces possibly the greatest head coach in the history of the sport.

There’s no question that he’s got some talent to work with, and having an experienced starter at quarterback is always a luxury.

Milroe is a much different player than Michael Penix Jr. though and there is nowhere near the wide receiver talent on hand to work with at Alabama as DeBoer had at Washington.

With all of that, what the Alabama offense looks like this fall is going to be an interesting storyline to follow.

The offensive line is stuffed with former guys who were all coveted recruits, but they had some real issues last fall, especially in protecting the passer.

Defensively losing Downs was just a tremendous blow and there’s no way to sugar coat it.

Given everything that Alabama lost off that side of the ball; two outstanding corners (Kool-Aid McKinstry, Terrion Arnold), two outstanding edge guys (Braswell and Baker) and Downs, it’s impossible to think that they won’t take a step back defensively.

On top of that—especially at corner—a lot of guys transferred out who would have stepped into those vacated spots.

In addition to the loss of some really talented personnel Alabama will also be moving into a new defensive system. How big of a deal will that be by the middle of October? Impossible to say, but it’s worth noting.

DeBoer has some talent on hand, no doubt, but it’s not a roster dripping with the kind of talent we’ve become accustomed to seeing Tuscaloosa.

A lot has changed at Alabama, but expectations aren’t among them. DeBoer will find that out quickly in year one.

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