When has the University of Alabama football program been at its best?
Of course, when it has been doubted or undervalued. In the Nick Saban era, the Crimson Tide’s national championship teams in 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017 were all doubted.
The national media unvalued the Tide in those four years, but Coach Saban knew what he had in the program. Saban, who is not the current head coach at Alabama, left Kalen DeBoer with more than enough to work with in the cupboard.
The Tide may have lost players to other school or to the National Football League, but the nucleus of the team remains a top two to three roster in college football. Georgia and Texas were selected as the teams to represent the Southeastern Conference in its Championship Game, and the Bulldogs were picked by the SEC media to win the conference title.
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Some media pundits also have Ole Miss and Missouri finishing the 2024 SEC season ahead of Alabama.
Jalen Milroe will have a lot to say about this, especially seeing the returning starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide defeated Georgia in the 2023 SEC Championship matchup — knocking the Bulldogs out of CFP contention.
He is going to be even better this fall under DeBoer’s offense with Nick Sheridan and JaMarcus Shephard. People highlight Ohio State’s backfield, but Alabama has an elite stable of running backs. No one is discussing how dynamic Justice Haynes, Jam Miller, and Richard Young are as a trio. DeBoer also has two freshmen, Daniel Hill and Kevin Riley, he can go to out the backfield if he chooses to. The media has not given Alabama’s wide receiver room a chance, and there’s marquee talent there too. Kobe Prentice, Kendrick Law, Germie Bernard, Ryan Williams (freshman), Emmanuel Henderson, Cole Adams, and others are prepared to put the nation on notice.
Alabama may have its best offensive line since the 2020 season. Some of the guys have dropped weight up front, and the Tide has arguably the best guard-center-guard tandem in college football with Tyler Booker, Parker Brailsford, and Jaeden Roberts.
Defensively, Alabama is three-deep across its rotation on the defensive line. Several veterans are back including Jeheim Oatis, Tim Smith, Tim Kennan III, Jah-Marien Latham, and Damon Payne Jr. The Tide has depth at all linebacker positions and experience in the secondary with Malachi Moore and Keon Sabb (transfer from Michigan).
Alabama knows exactly what it has, and it is the reason why DeBoer was smooth and confident at the podium for SEC Media Days last week at Dallas, Texas.
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People did not look at Alabama as an elite team in 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017 in the preseason, but the Tide proved national media wrong each time. It has something up its sleeve for the coming fall as LANK 2.0 will be unleashed onto the nation.
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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.
