Alabama football: SEC Media Days schedule, questions for Kalen DeBoer

Happy Monday, everyone. With 47 days to kickoff, Creg Stephenson looks back at a 47 yard field goal to upset Tennessee back in 1990.

Rarely has an Alabama football victory been more unlikely than on Oct. 20, 1990. On that day at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., the Crimson Tide scored a 9-6 win over previously unbeaten Tennessee behind Philip Doyle’s 47-yard field goal as time expired. Alabama entered the game at 2-3 under first-year coach Gene Stallings, and had lost several of its top offensive weapons to injury early in the season. “The only ones who thought we had a chance to win that football game were in our locker room,” Stallings told reporters afterward, and he was probably close to correct.

Alabama updated its roster with new heights and weights, and two offensive linemen notably went in opposite directions.

No. 71 - IOL Kam Dewberry (6-4, 332) -13 This weight loss had to happen. Dewberry played a little too heavy (335) at Texas A&M, and then reported to Alabama weighing 345 pounds. Now he sits down at 332, which should help his functionality and conditioning. He’s in a heated battle with Geno VanDeMark to take over for Tyler Booker at left guard, but I’d say he’s the favorite right now. No. 74 - OT Kadyn Proctor (6-7, 366) +6 Easily the most discouraging development in the latest roster update. I wouldn’t say it was unexpected when you consider that Proctor was limited all throughout the spring and wasn’t able to do much, but he was still too heavy at 369 last year before dropping to 360 in the spring. The hope (for me, at least) was to see him get down in the 350-355 range at least. Instead, he’s heading in the opposite direction. Maybe that’ll change before Week 1.

Here’s hoping that Kadyn will be in shape and ready to reach his ceiling in year three. As Stephenson notes, much is expected of him.

3. Who is the SEC’s best offensive lineman? Answer: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama Proctor is technically on his second stint in Tuscaloosa following a brief transfer back home to Iowa during the winter of 2023-24, but he showed last season why he was so highly touted coming out of high school. He’s physical and aggressive, and uses his long arms and mammoth frame to swallow up opposing pass-rushers.

SEC Media Days kick off this week. The first head coach to take the podium will be Lane Kiffin just after lunch, which should start things off in amusing fashion. Per usual, Alabama’s session will be on Wednesday.

Wednesday, July 16 8-11:50 a.m. Alabama (Kalen DeBoer, Tim Keenan III, Deontae Lawson, Kadyn Proctor) Mississippi State (Jeff Lebby, Blake Shapen, Isaac Smith, Brenen Thompson) Noon-3:45 p.m. Florida (Billy Napier, Caleb Banks, Jake Slaughter, DJ Lagway) Oklahoma (Brent Venables, John Mateer, Robert Spears-Jennings, R Mason Thomas)

Kalen DeBoer will of course get plenty of questions about the quarterback battle, but the lines of scrimmage and getting back to the standard that Alabama fans have become spoiled to will also be on the table.

Related 3 burning questions for Alabama football heading into SEC Media Days

It’s not a big leap to think the defense can take an even bigger step forward in 2025. But the pass rush lacked at times in 2024. Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack often had to get creative to dial up pressure in his first season running the defense. Alabama finished with 25 sacks, nowhere near the top 10 in college football. Boise State tallied the most with 55. Sacks aren’t everything, but it’s still a stat worth improving for Alabama. LT Overton figures to be the top pass rusher. He was a season ago. Overton taking the next step in his game (and getting sacks) could go a long way in improving the pass rush. But Alabama will need someone to pair with him so offenses can’t focus on blocking only Overton. Qua Russaw has the potential to be that guy opposite Overton creating havoc for offenses. Or perhaps, someone else can step up.

Can Kalen DeBoer get Tide in the CFP? The first-year results under Kalen DeBoer weren’t unexpected, but it was still a disappointment for the Tide faithful. The losses to Oklahoma and Michigan near the end of the season were salt in the wound. Alabama is more talented this season than last. Though many will pay attention to the perceived quarterback battle between Ty Simpson and Austin Mack, the big-picture question is what matters: What happens if DeBoer misses the playoff with one of the nation’s more talented rosters?

This next excerpt is just for your amusement.

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4. Georgia: Alabama The last coach Georgia fans ever wanted to see on the other sideline is doing television. Nick Saban was 5-1 against Kirby Smart, but even with Saban in his first year of retirement last season, Alabama still beat Georgia in a wild 41-34 game in Tuscaloosa the final weekend of September. Georgia has lost nine of the past 10 games in the series and hasn’t beaten Alabama in the regular season since 2007, Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa, when the Mark Richt-coached Bulldogs won 26-23 in overtime. Georgia has vaulted to elite status under Smart, but a second straight loss to DeBoer — especially with this year’s game being played in Athens — wouldn’t sit well with anybody in Athens. — Chris Low

Vanderbilt is listed as Alabama’s. Let’s hope the men are ready for that one.

Last, Deion Sanders made some waves talking about the modern “uniform.”

The head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes wants NFL-style uniform violation fines brought to the college football world. He is particularly bothered by players who wear their pants too short. “Let’s do something about the uniforms,” Sanders said at Big 12 Media Days. “We’ve got guys in biker shorts. That makes me sick because I’m a football guy — I played this game at a high level and I have so much respect for this game. How can we allow guys out there in biker shorts, no knee pads, no nothing, literally pants up under their thighs, and that’s cool?” Sanders, who is entering his third year at Colorado, said that officials could enforce the violations by throwing flags at players who don’t wear knee pads. However, he would prefer if players were straight up fined.

Thoughts?

That’s about it for today. Have a great week.

Roll Tide.

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