Nick Saban explains why Kalen DeBoer's Alabama did not make his SEC championship game prediction
Nick Saban is well-known as one of the greatest coaches the game has seen. Under Saban's 17-year tenure, Alabama secured six national championships and nine Southeastern Conference titles, among several other notable achievements.
In a surprising turn of events, during his appearance as an ESPN analyst at the 2024 SEC Media Days on Monday, Saban left out coach Kalen DeBoer's Alabama while making his SEC championship pick. The former coach chose Georgia and Texas to be the last two standing, showing faith in Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns and Kirby Smart's Bulldogs.
Explaining why the Crimson Tide did not make the cut, analyst Saban said:
"I think Texas if their defense comes through and they can replace some of the interior people that they lost that were high draft picks and all that, they are really good offensively. Even though their quarterback has missed time, [Quinn] Ewers has missed time in the last couple of years, [Arch] Manning was lights out in the spring game.
"Like, Arch was 21-of-25 for 347 yards. So that depth at quarterback is probably really important for then, because Ewers has missed time the last couple years, a game or two, which could really affect where you end up.
"I believe in our Alabama team, too. I believe in Jalen Milroe. I just think the question marks in the secondary -- until those get resolved -- it's hard to, sort of, jump on that bandwagon."
What's next for Alabama following Nick Saban's exit?
Nick Saban announced his retirement soon after the 2023 national championship and said that the new state of college football was not compatible with his ideas.
Following the announcement, Kalen DeBoer, who was one of the most talked-about coaches in the previous season, was appointed to be the next Alabama head coach.
DeBoer has had a successful record as a head coach, be it at Fresno State or Washington, with an overall record of 104-12. He helped the Huskies reach the national championship game, losing to coach Jim Harbaugh's Michigan.
Many college football analysts have approved Kalen DeBoer's appointment with the Crimson Tide and even referred to him as an upgrade.
DeBoer has been making bold strides in the recruitment process by securing talent powerhouses like five-star WR Ryan Williams, five-star QB Keelon Russell and Ty Haywood.
Alabama is No. 2 in college football recruiting rankings, beating teams like Oregon, Texas and Ohio State. Fans would be interested to see how the Crimson Tide perform during their first year under Kalen DeBoer.