Nick Saban’s retirement could have been an absolute disaster for Alabama and Kalen DeBoer.
DeBoer did lose stud quarterback prospect Julian Sayin to Ohio State, and it seemed like the new coaching staff had an even more immediate catastrophe when offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor returned to his home state to play for Iowa.
Proctor started every game as a freshman for the Crimson Tide in Saban’s final season, so it was a huge loss for Alabama.
Of course with the modern-day transfer shenanigans of college football, the former five-star recruit lasted only months with the Hawkeyes, and after hanging with his former Alabama teammates on spring break, he did an about face and returned to Tuscaloosa. (Insert joke about how awesome that spring break trip must have been.)
RELATED: Two stunning SEC stats from ESPN’s latest FPI rankings
“It’s probably one of the worst decisions that I’ve made in my life,” the 19 year old told 247 Sports. “I let Coach [Kalen] DeBoer and the staff talk to me, trying to convince me to stay, but I wasn’t really sitting there and listening to them. I was just so hell bent on going back home, no one was going to change my mind.”
Later on he admits, “Even my parents told me that, but they were like, ‘OK, you’re going to find out for yourself.’ And that’s exactly what happened. I gave them credit. I said, ‘You’re right.’ Nothing else I can do but say you’re right and I made a mistake.”
The former Washington Huskies coach was given the impossible mission when he accepted the Alabama job. The fact that DeBoer has been able to right the ship and have an Alabama team that’s still in the same conversation with Georgia and Texas heading into the 2024 college football season is remarkable.
RELATED: DeBoer’s hilarious new-guy moment filling Saban’s legendary shoes
Yes, probably a level below the Bulldogs and Longhorns, but in ESPN’s FPI ratings and predictions, the Crimson Tide is barely outside of the top four behind Georgia, Oregon, Texas, and Ohio State.
DeBoer and his staff also have been upping recruiting efforts, getting a commitment from four-star QB recruit Keelon Russell.
The Saban shadow will still loom large. But so far, DeBoer seems to be taking it in stride.