Know how parents often buy shoes that are one size too big for their toddlers? So that they don’t grow out of them too soon? It’s rational. But what if the kid doesn’t grow into them in the first place? You’re left with a dangly shoe that can come off under the slightest bit of duress. In many ways, this is the perfect allegory for Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer’s predicament. Coach DeBoer came to Tuscaloosa with big shoes to fill, succeeding Nick Saban. Naturally, nobody expected those proverbial shoes to fit snug right away. He was afforded some growing pains through year 1. But entering year 2, there is an expectation they will fit. The jury is out on whether that transpires. But star wideout Ryan Williams has admitted something that, A) confirms there were growing pains. And B) answers whether the shoe is any closer to fitting.
Success is relative, subjective. There’s no rigid, quantifiable measure of it. For most programs in the country, a 9-win season for a new HC would be a resounding success. However, Alabama isn’t most programs. This dynastic blueblood has lived in the playoffs for decades on end, even before it included 12 teams. The more real, pragmatic fans know not to expect a seamless transition when you’re replacing the greatest coach in the program and arguably the sport’s history. Especially in the NIL and transfer portal era, an era in flux. Then-true freshman Ryan Williams was the best silver lining of what was a sub-par season for Bama. The guy who helped usher in the Kalen DeBoer era. So when he says that even he didn’t take to Coach DeBoer immediately, the alarm bells going off is justified.
Calling Ryan Williams prodigious or even generational doesn’t feel too hyperbolic. At 17 years old, he took to College Football like a duck to water. Being WR1 for the Crimson Tide as a reclassified freshman is commendable. Williams represents the new age athlete, who matches flash and pageantry with production. His head coach is relatively more new age than his contemporaries, too. Kalen DeBoer doesn’t shy away from exposing his program and players to the camera. FOX documentary “Tides that Bind” following Bama around all of last season is evidence of this. But maybe Coach DeBoer flew too close to the sun. Another documentary, SEC Network’s “All in”, documented their spring camp heading into the ‘25 season. This one may just have disclosed something that Kalen DeBoer would’ve wanted under wraps.
Credits: Imago
In an excerpt from the aforementioned “All in” doc, Ryan Williams said, “When coach DeBoer first got here, it was kind of a culture shock.” Instinctively, you may think that doesn’t seem right. How does a freshman, who wasn’t even enrolled at Bama when Kalen DeBoer got there, know this? Williams did clear this, and proceeded to lay a bit of an indictment. “Just listening to the other guys, some people weren’t bought into Coach DeBoer yet.” he said. That’s…not great. To be fair to both Williams and DeBoer, he did then add, “Now that we’re in year 2, basically everyone that’s here [is] bought into coach DeBoer and the rest of the coaching staff and everything we do.” So what do we make of this?
When Kalen DeBoer got to Tuscaloosa, he was taking over a lot of residual from Nick Saban. So, even though he had just made a Natty himself with Washington, it’s understandable he didn’t have unanimous buy-in from the roster. But a year on, most of that residual is gone. The current roster is very much Coach DeBoer’s own. Players that he’s filtered out, and/or brought in. Players who don’t have any prejudice or skepticism. Hence, “basically everybody” being bought into him is justified. If this weren’t the case, you’d have to ask some serious questions of him. But for now, it does appear that loose shoe will indeed fit after a year of growth and development. Simultaneously to this, Kalen DeBoer had something to say about Ryan Williams and his receiving corps as well.
Kalen DeBoer reveals the lengths Ryan Williams and the rest of Alabama’s receiving corps are going to
Kalen DeBoer guested on ESPN’s “Always College Football” podcast to chop up Bama with host Greg McElroy heading into fall. When asked whether his WR room was in better shape than last season. Coach DeBoer answered in the affirmative. Which isn’t a massive revelation if you’re privy to Bama’s depth on the perimeter. Aside from the aforementioned Ryan Williams, there are more wideouts heading into year 2. Either at the program or in their career overall. Meaning there’s a natural progression on the cards. With more reps and more knowledge of the system and schematics.
Kalen DeBoer was full of praise for the likes of Williams, but also Germie Bernard and Isaiah Horton. The latter came in this offseason from Miami via the portal. “Many of them are going and meeting at a location in the month of May [to practice]. We’ve cautioned them not to do too much, you know. Because the summer is going to be as hard as one they’ve ever been through. But just the ability to get together and them doing it on their own, and that desire to do it, and then also know what to work on,” said Coach DeBoer.
The young receivers taking initiative to build chemistry and practice on their own signals that things are headed in the right direction. Interestingly, former 5-star Jaylen Mbakwe is also poised to join this group. He is transitioning from cornerback to receiver. Which is a microcosm of how the squad is indeed 100% bought into Kalen DeBoer. More Ws in the win/loss column are requisite for ‘25. It’ll be fascinating to see if DeBoer can funnel this increasing momentum into performances and results.
The post Ryan Williams Admits Something New About Kalen DeBoer After Alabama HC Confirms Major Locker Room Shake-Up appeared first on EssentiallySports.