“The potential is there” - Kalen DeBoer lays out conditions that can help Alabama make it to 2024 College Football Playoff
New Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer has yet to coach a game for the team, but he remains confident in his boys' ability to make a potential College Football Playoff run in the upcoming 2024-2025 season.
The former Washington Huskies head tactician made this very clear while speaking on the team's current roster and their potential. He is, however, still trying to be realistic about Alabama's chances next season (via AthlonSports):
"The potential is there. We need to have a great summer, a great fall. But that's what I would have said a year ago, too. Because there's the talent piece, and then there's the execution piece, and then there's the real tight chemistry that I think just takes time to develop going through the winter, summer, fall, to really get a team that can be at that level," DeBoer said.
Considering Kalen DeBoer himself was just in the national championship game with Washington against Jim Harbaugh and Michigan a season ago, it is safe to say he knows what a CFP-contending team should look like. This was mainly the reason why the Tide wanted him to replace the legendary Nick Saban--having proven himself a winner everywhere he's been (via ESPN).
As part of DeBoer's recruiting efforts, Alabama has managed to keep a good chunk of their core while also bringing in a talented recruiting class. This includes former Iowa left tackle Kadyn Proctor (who himself returned to Alabama after initially backing out), Penn State's King Mack, and Wake Forest's DaShawn Jones.
To round up Bama's current recruiting class, they have interior offensive lineman Geno VanDeMark from Michigan State, kicker Graham Nicholson from Miami (Ohio), and defensive back Kameron Howard from Charlotte (via 247Sports).
Kalen DeBoer's other plans for Alabama football
Since he was hired in January, Kalen DeBoer has made it clear that he wants his time in Tuscaloosa to be his very own. Most notably, he wanted to bring some of his Huskies coaching staff over to his new job.
"I’ll work on getting the staff in order very quickly," DeBoer said. "There will be a touch of Washington in there."
Courtney Morgan was among these folks, who initially served under DeBoer at Washington as his general manager.
Aside from that, he also expressed the desire to hire staffers with clear SEC experience. Considering how the conference is well-known for being cutthroat, he needs all the help he can get on this front.