Alabama wide receiver sees benefit of having DeBoer around more

Dec 6, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer encourages his players as they warm up before the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News

Alabama football’s wide receiver coach JaMarcus Shephard has recently taken a step back from the team after taking the head coaching position at Oregon State a few weeks ago. Kalen DeBoer is stepping up to fill his role for the time being.

Shephard stayed with the team through the SEC Championship, but recently left for Corvallis to fulfill his head coaching responsibilities. DeBoer, being a former wide receiver in his playing career, has been stepping in to help the receiver room.

Wide receiver Germie Bernard spoke on Monday about what it’s been like to have DeBoer working with the position group.

“It’s always good to be able to have your head coach coach you up a little bit,” Bernard said. “He has so many other things he has to worry about, but for him to be in our room and give us notes, just be there to analyze film and whatnot. It helps us a lot, because he was an [offensive coordinator], now he’s the head coach, and he used to play the position back in the day. So, he knows a lot about the game, and it only helps us elevate our game as receivers.”

At the University of Sioux Falls, as a wide receiver, DeBoer set school records with 234 receptions, 3,400 receiving yards and 33 touchdowns. As a former All-American receiver, he’ll bring valuable knowledge and experience to the receiver room for now.

With Shephard’s absence, having a head coach who used to play the position will help a lot ahead of the upcoming First Round College Football Playoff game against the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday.

However, DeBoer won’t have to work with the receivers for too long; Alabama hired Derrick Nix as its wide receiver coach on Monday. Nix has been Auburn’s offensive coordinator for two seasons and has a proven track record of developing wide receivers.

But right now the focus is on Friday’s matchup with Oklahoma, and with the Crimson Tide having struggled in the pass game recently, quarterback Ty Simpson and the receivers will need to get to work to ensure the season doesn’t end in Norman.