Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer ‘Not Alarmed’ Despite Mass Exodus of Talent Via Transfer Portal

The new Crimson Tide coach said he isn’t sweating the departures in the portal.

Kalen DeBoer isn’t worried. 

Nick Saban's retirement after 17 seasons as Alabama’s coach has ignited a chain reaction of events across college football, chief among them the hiring of former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer as Saban’s replacement.

Since the news of Saban’s decision broke, the Crimson Tide have seen 10 players, including 2023 starters Isaiah Bond and Caleb Downs, as well as top recruits Julian Sayin and Kadyn Proctor, enter the transfer portal. 

DeBoer, speaking to the media on Friday about the changes to the Alabama roster, said he is “not alarmed” about the personnel changes, per AL.com’s Michael Casagrande on X, formerly Twitter. 

“I’m really not alarmed at all,” Kalen DeBoer said of all the changes with the Alabama roster and coaching staff.

— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) January 19, 2024

To be fair, being alarmed is simply not an option for DeBoer, who is replacing arguably the greatest college football coach ever. 

Although it’s never ideal to lose the leading receiver, leading tackler and two cornerstone recruits for the immediate future, Alabama boasts the roster talent to withstand such departures. 

Plus, DeBoer is a winner, having compiled a 104—12 career record at the University of Sioux Falls, Fresno State and Washington. 

If anyone is prepared to weather this storm, it’s DeBoer.