Kalen DeBoer: 'We Want Those Guys That Want to Be Here'

The Alabama football coach says he's "not alarmed at all" by the players that have gone into the transfer portal.

Since Nick Saban retired on Jan. 10, Alabama has seen multiple players enter the transfer portal including starters like Isaiah Bond, Caleb Downs and Kadyn Proctor. 

New Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer made his first public comments Friday afternoon on the Paul Finebaum Show since his introductory press conference last Saturday, and DeBoer addressed the topic of Crimson Tide players jumping in the portal.

"I was just going through this two years ago, and this is a much better situation than even that one was with the number of players leaving," DeBoer said. "We just stay the course. You roll up your sleeves, like I said earlier.

“There’s such a great group of leaders here in this program that want to uphold the standard of Alabama football, and they are sticking together. And we want those guys that want to be here. They're working through all the noise that's out there, and I just couldn't be more proud of them sticking together and being intentional on communicating with themselves and trying to keep it tight, keep it together.

"A lot of these guys, they came here to leave a legacy, to build on a legacy, but also to leave a legacy. They look at it as their job's not done. There’s unfinished business with what they accomplished, whether it’s this year or in years past. We’re really looking forward to locking arms as a team, as a staff to continue to just work with the guys that are here. I really feel like we're in a great spot. We’ve just got to stay the course."

Players like Jalen Milroe, Tyler Booker, Kendrick Law, Jaeden Roberts, Malachi Moore and Deontae Lawson have publicly affirmed their decision to stay at Alabama. 

DeBoer said he is close to filling out his entire staff, but is not fully there yet. He is telling the players and fans to get excited about the future of Alabama football. 

"When you have change and transition, there’s going to be change with everything that’s around the program," DeBoer said. "A lot of these programs are going through changes without transition of head coaches. Naturally you expect that this is going to happen to some extent, and we'll get the right people in the program— whether it's staff, whether it's players. And this is a place that it's got the best facilities, the best resources in the entire country. And we're able to support the great players that come here in here with all of that.

"And our guys, and I would tell the fans this as well, to be excited about the staff we're bringing in and what we’ll be capable of doing. I'm really not alarmed at all.”

Coming and Going: Alabama 2024 Offseason Roster Tracker