“Alabama football is going to be in a better spot under Kalen DeBoer than Nick Saban": CFB insider has a hot prediction for Crimson Tide fans

There's a lot of anticipation ahead of Kalen DeBoer's first season as Alabama’s head coach. The former Washington coach was hired to replace Nick Saban in January following the sudden retirement of the latter, after 17 years in charge at Tuscaloosa.

ESPN analyst Peter Burns sees the Crimson Tide in a better position for the future under DeBoer than they would have been with Saban. He made this known during his appearance on The Next Round for SEC Media Days coverage.

“I think Alabama football is going to be in a better spot and have a better footing for the future of college football under Kalen DeBoer than they would with Nick Saban," Burns said.

“And the only reason why I say that is that Saban is the greatest coach in the history of the game, but that game is no longer what we cover. That game didn't have the transfer portal. That game didn't have the name, image and likeness.”

Kalen DeBoer believes it’s an honor to carry on the tradition

Alabama is undoubtedly the toughest job in college football, considering what Nick Saban has done over the years. The coach was able to build a strong and unrivaled winning tradition during his 17-year tenure at the program, winning six national championships and nine SEC titles.

Taking over from such a legendary coach, Kalen DeBoer considers it a huge honor to carry on the great winning tradition of the program. Speaking during his session at the SEC Media Days, he acknowledged Saban's greatness and how he feels about the responsibility of the role.

“I understand there's only one Coach Saban," DeBoer said. "There will only ever be one Coach Saban. This program is special, and I take it as a great honor to be the one that gets to do everything we can to carry on the great tradition.

"But for me personally, it was just more about understanding that coaching football is coaching football. It's been just an awesome blessing to be a part of this program, to continue to have that expectation on us. The alternative is to be at places where there aren't expectations."

Without a doubt, there are a lot of expectations on Kalen DeBeor and his team ahead of the 2024 season. Many are waiting to see how much he can keep the program competitive in the landscape over the next couple of years. With his brilliant head coaching record, there’s confidence he will succeed in Tuscaloosa.