MOBILE, Ala. — Kalen DeBoer knows Alabama football has to be better. Standing outside of Hancock Whitney Stadium for the 2025 Senior Bowl, the Alabama football coach harkened back to his expectation for the Crimson Tide when he first took the job: to perform at a championship level.

Kalen DeBoer’s first season as Alabama football’s head coach didn’t meet expectations. There’s plenty of places where a nine-win season and a bowl appearance would be cause for celebration under a new coach, but Tuscaloosa isn’t one of them, especially after Nick Saban’s tenure.

Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer understands where fans may feel there's a shortcoming on his 2025 Crimson Tide depth chart.

The Alabama Crimson Tide finished the 2024 season with a 9-4 record. That's a pretty good season for most SEC programs, but that's not the standard at Alabama (thanks to Nick Saban's brilliance). Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer,

Ryan Williams won’t be 17 anymore when the 2025 Alabama football season begins. The Crimson Tide wide receiver, the most famous minor in college football during his true freshman year, will be facing enormous expectations as a sophomore, with a new quarterback and facing defenses that have plenty of tape on him.

Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer was among the many college coaches who attended the first day of Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

Kalen DeBoer's first season as Alabama's head football coach is widely believed to be a major flop when looking at it from the "Bama Standard" Nick Saban set. Keeping that aside, DeBoer has done a commendable job with a four-loss season and largely in everything he has done after the conclusion of their season.