Why DeBoer Wants Alabama to Fly Under the Radar

The Alabama Crimson Tide is flying under the radar going into 2026 after an 11-4 season that doesn't feel like a typical 11-win football season. The Tide finished the regular season 10-2 before falling to Georgia in the SEC championship, rebounded by overcoming a 17-point deficit to defeat Oklahoma in the CFP, then lost by 35 points to the eventual national champion, the Indiana Hoosiers.

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Alabama will have several new faces on offense, having to replace:

-Starting quarterback
-Starting running back
-2 Starting wide receivers
-4 Starters on the offensive line
-Starting tight end

The Crimson Tide's win total is currently set at 8.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, the lowest in quite some time. The former king of the SEC now sits a couple of spots lower than what it's used to, with Georgia and Texas taking the spotlight. Despite that, head coach Kalen DeBoer understands why Alabama is an under-the-radar program right now.

"I understand why, with a lot of new faces. And that's okay, you know, because we got to go prove it. We do. We got to go out and get the job done," DeBoer said at SEC Media Days. "That's really how I feel every year. It doesn't matter how many guys return. Last year we returned, I think 16 seniors, and we had to go prove it. We had to do some things, not just talk it. We had to go decide what we were going to accomplish, decide and commit to the process, commit to what we needed to do to get it done, and then make sure that action supported the goals we had.

"And so this team has a lot of new faces. You know, for us, we felt, again, we took some good steps in the right direction a year ago. Feel like there is a foundation of toughness and resiliency, as I mentioned earlier. There is some things we got to continue to get better.

"So until we prove it, we understand there will be doubt, because those expectations, as we talked about, are extremely high in the program."

Taco Casa brings you our coverage of SEC Media Days live from Tampa, Florida.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.