Head coach Kalen DeBoer walked into one of the toughest jobs in college football. He replaced former Alabama coach Nick Saban. And then the roster fell apart around him before he could even get started.

On See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack, ESPN analyst and former NFL linebacker, David Pollack went to bat for DeBoer publicly. He looked at what happened in year one and had a clear take on it.

"Guys were leaving left and right, man. He wasn't dealt a fair hand. Kalen DeBoer, I'll say it again, he's a great coach. He's been a great coach his whole life," Pollack said on the On See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack podcast on July 18.

The context behind that is important. When Saban retired after the 2023 season, 31 players left Alabama through the transfer portal. Only 14 came in. Star safety Caleb Downs and quarterback Julian Sayin both landed at Ohio State. DeBoer was rebuilding from day one.

Alabama went 9-4 in DeBoer's first season and missed the College Football Playoff entirely. Three of those losses came against teams that finished with five or more losses, including two programs that went 6-6 in the regular season.

Year two told a different story. Pollack pointed to the full picture when making his case.

"Nine and four after saving 11 and 4 last year, progress, getting to the SEC Championship Game, winning a College Football Playoff game. The dude's 20 and six versus ranked opponents in his career." Pollack said on the On See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack podcast.

DeBoer's 2025 season ended with an SEC Championship Game appearance and a CFP first-round win over the Oklahoma Sooners before the Indiana Hoosiers knocked them out 38-3 in the quarterfinals.

The record is improving. The standard in Tuscaloosa has not moved, though.

David Pollack also said Kalen DeBoer is gone if Alabama misses the playoff

The same podcast where Pollack defended DeBoer was also where he drew the clearest line on his future during an episode back in March. He was asked whether Alabama was more likely to make the playoff or lose DeBoer after this season.

"If he's not in the playoffs, he's gone," Pollack said on the On See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack podcast. "I think that's factual."

The schedule to start the year looks manageable on paper. East Carolina, Kentucky, Florida State, South Carolina, in that order. However, there will be obstacles.

DeBoer lost his starting quarterback, Ty Simpson, to the NFL, heading into this season. Alabama averaged just 104.1 rushing yards per game in 2025, ranking 125th in the country. The offense needs to look completely different for the pressure to ease up.

What do you think about Pollack's defense of Kalen DeBoer? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar