‘Boots on the ground’: How Alabama, Kalen DeBoer are navigating roster turnover

Kalen DeBoer made a quick caveat.

In front of a room full of Alabama boosters, administrators and legends, DeBoer introduced himself as the latest Crimson Tide football coach and laid out his philosophies. He said his offenses revolve around the skillsets their players have and it’s the job of the coaching staff to maximize their potential. Still, he was talking in Tuscaloosa, standing on a dais inside Bryant-Denny Stadium’s north endzone suite. What he slipped in next during his speech mattered, too.

“Yes, we’re going to recruit the best,” DeBoer said on Saturday.

Saban sat front row as DeBoer spoke, meanwhile, more players entered the portal and few transferred to rivals. Texas and Florida State each secured top playmakers within the last week. And with potentially more on the way, DeBoer’s first days in town were critical. As he later elaborated for reporters, DeBoer understands the job of succeeding Nick Saban starts with maintaining the core of the roster Saban built before his shock retirement last Wednesday.

Twenty players had entered the transfer portal since the season ended on Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl, five of those have come following DeBoer’s hire. Step one is filling out staff, and while no formal hires have been made, rumors are it’ll include influences from both DeBoer’s time at Washington as well as some holdover from 2023.

UA athletic director Greg Byrne had a plan of action, to the hour, partially seven years in the making. After Saban addressed the team Byrne, recognizing the modern trappings of the portal, asked for 72 hours to find a replacement. He then gathered with UA leadership, and remaining football coaches and had one final meeting before boarding a plane. In a conference room by his office in the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility, Byrne and members of the UA athletic department and some football staffers, “about eight” in all, comprised a pseudo-crisis-management team.

They divided the roster up, assigning swaths of players to each person to call and stay in contact with. The goal was “boots on the ground.” Byrne stressed to not wait for the players to raise any concerns and being proactive would be key.

“Knowing that the rule now was as soon as a coach retires or is dismissed, you got a 30-day (transfer) window immediately, a pressure of that going on. … That was critical in the process,” Byrne said. “We had to be on G waiting for O and making sure you were being efficient and thoughtful, but also recognizing you have to go at a rapid pace”

DeBoer landed at a crowded Tuscaloosa International Airport on Friday night. As he fist-bumped fans through a fence, one asked about recruiting. A day later, while walking into Bryant-Denny, a fan asked DeBoer about star freshman safety Caleb Downs.

Kim Nelson, a longtime high school football coach who gave DeBoer his first job in 1998, said he’d be shocked if more players left after meeting DeBoer. Known as a genuine talker who’s not immune to cracking a joke about himself, Nelson saw first-hand how DeBoer works with kids. Within his first days on staff at Washington (S.D.) High, not only did DeBoer know the offense better than most coaches, he was getting players to have fun and embrace the team. It appears as if a similar plan is underway with Alabama. DeBoer said he’s met with multiple players, individually and in groups.

DeBoer has reportedly retained Freddie Roach (defensive line) and Robert Gillespie (running backs). Between them, his eventual defensive coordinator appointment (yet to be announced) and Washington ties, it’ll be an early test to see how DeBoer is at roster construction.

“Our guys want to know. Every hour that goes by is agonizing to them,” DeBoer said. ” … First and foremost the recruiting needs to happen within this team and getting them to buy in.

“Just give me a chance. Give me a chance to show you a few of the things. I’m gonna listen to you. I’m gonna meet you where you’re at right now and try to show them through proof of things that have happened, whether it’s at Washington or, we haven’t got into much beyond that, but what this will look like.”