He has not coached a regular season game for Alabama football, but Kalen DeBoer carries this confidence that has Crimson Tide fans believing its program will be more than okay in the post Nick Saban era.
He is showing off his chops on the recruiting trail, landing 20 verbal commitments for the 2025 class.
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Saban was a six-time national champion, nine-time Southeastern Conference Champion, and coached four Heisman Memorial Trophy winners during 17 seasons as the head coach. DeBoer, 49, has his winning formula, and a former Alabama wide receiver is not worried about him as Saban’s successor. DeVonta Smith, the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner, came to Alabama as a five-star in the 2017 class with Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, Najee Harris, Jerry Jeudy, and Henry Ruggs III.
He was the most accomplished receiver in school history and was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Before he enters his fourth year with the Philadelphia Eagles, Smith mentioned something about DeBoer via Rivals.com on Saturday at his charity softball tournament.
Smith said “the Tide will always roll” even without Saban as the head coach.
.@DeVontaSmith_6 isn’t worried about the future of Alabama Football 👀 pic.twitter.com/GjA0pIODuV
— Rivals (@Rivals) June 30, 2024
He was a two-time College Football Playoff National Champion, but Smith is looking forward to seeing what DeBoer does.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
