What Kalen DeBoer Said After Alabama's Last Fall Scrimmage

Full transcript from the Crimson Tide football head coach after Alabama's final preseason scrimmage.

The Crimson Tide football team continued practice Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, as they prepare for the season opener and the first game under new head coach Kalen DeBoer. DeBoer watches with a smile as his players run through defensive drills. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The Alabama Crimson Tide football program held its second and final scrimmage of fall camp on Saban Field inside Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday. First year head coach Kalen DeBoer spent time with the media after the scrimmage to give an update on the team as there are just two weeks until the season opens.

DeBoer is scheduled to speak at noon. Live updates of the press conference will be posted as it transpires with a full transcript and video after the event.

Full Transcript of Kalen DeBoer's Press Conference

Opening Statement

Morning. Scrimmage number two. Two weeks from today, we’re on the field for game day. The days are counting down.

Another, I thought, really productive scrimmage. Different situations from what we got into, just naturally. Not even scripted or being intentional. A little bit more red zone, inside the 10 (yard line) work that happened at the end. A good give-and-take. I think the defense continues to — they did a good job against the run.

Early, the offense hit a couple of explosives — trying to give you an overall summary — but a couple of good takeaways from the defense, and they did a good job of having to make it happen. A tip-ball and a diving player, a great play. Love that from the defensive side, when there were plays to be made, they made them.

Offensively, to flip it, some pass catches by the receivers, which were extremely competitive, with great defense. Coming down with those balls was good to see. The positioning from the defense was also good to see.

Very physical. I thought it was a very physical scrimmage. Probably, not even probably, it was definitely the most physical scrimmage we’ve had since we’ve been here, out of the four or five, counting the spring game.

Got through relatively healthy. There’s some things this week with a couple of guys that we’ll probably hold them out of a couple of practices. But by the end of the week, we should have the guys we need out there practicing and getting ready for Week 1 against Western Kentucky.

Getting some of the guys back that have been maybe dinged up over the last week or two slowly but surely. We kept a couple of guys out. If they had to play, they could’ve. A guy like Jam Miller. I know you guys are well aware. He was dinged up a week ago. He could’ve gone today, if he needed to, but we’re just not getting too crazy and being smart. We’re getting healthier, even though we had a few guys dinged up today.

On Jaeden Roberts and the OL as a whole …

Jaeden will be able to play Week 1. It won’t be anything where he’ll be out for a game or anything.

Just with our, I think, again, it was probably the best give and take as far as pressure, but also being able to dig in and give a pocket for the quarterbacks. When we needed some time, they did it. But there were also some times, much like last week, when the defense got the quarterback and finished drives off. A lot of times, those are in your third-down situations. Third down, back to the wall, got home. With the running backs, Jam in particular not doing anything out there, the rotation, I thought we were solid.

I do think our defensive line is doing a really good job against the run.

Thoughts on the cornerbacks

I thought they were really on top of receivers all day long. They understand the responsibilities to be in the right position. I'm sure there are a couple clips we can find. That's always going to be the case where they could have been better. But really nothing as far as busted assignments. I think they continue to get better each and every day. They're practicing out there. They really want to do it. There's a high level of want to. They know a lot of eyes are on them. I'm really proud of the way they continue to bring it each and every day. Some physicality out there. I thought they had times they had a tackle to make and got guys to the ground. Layed some hits on some guys running routes, both receivers, tight ends. A lot of good things from that group. They continue to grow. They continue to improve each and every day and each and every week. 

Right tackle battle

It certainly is. Just going to be a position, I think, until we really get to some game time reps, I don't know if we will have it completely ironed out, just based on how it's gone so far. Both guys have their strengths and things they do really well. Those come out. Now I don't feel like either of them are a liability. I think it's just a matter of figuring out which one is going to be our guys. They both have done a lot to earn a lot of reps. Maybe we'll take that back a week from now if something else continues to evolve or if one guy steps up, but that seems to be the direction we're headed right now. 

Who's returning punts and kicks

I think there are a couple different ways you look at it. You can go with the veterans. Being around Germie Bernard, as a returner, he's done both. You're comfortable with him catching the ball. You're comfortable with him making good decisions, especially when the ball is on a punt and the punt coverage team is flying down the field. He's going to make good decisions. I really think we're also trying to bring some young guys. Might be guys that are able to help us this year. Might even be guys out there Week 1. But really what we want to do is always be developing players for the end of the season. Those moments that you hopefully have a few games where you don't want to send your No. 1 guy out there. And you have enough trust in your No. 2. Got a lead or something like that. Also, a year from now. Two years from now. You want to have guys that have caught so many balls back there that you don't even flinch thinking about putting them in the game. We've got Mbakwe back there as a young guy. One of those guys I referred to. He's been really consistent. Ryan can do some things. We trust him catching the ball. A K-Law could be back there with the explosives he has in kick return and also punt return. There are a few other we continue to work through. We try to keep it a bigger pool than we do try to narrow it down. 

On working with special teams and how the kickers and punters looked

First of all, Burnip, he’s had an amazing camp. This spring, the first couple days — I’ll be flat out honest, the first couple days of spring ball I thought ‘Man he’s got a lot of potential, can be a little more consistent. You saw it at the end of spring ball that consistency happened and he’s been nothing but just phenomenal all camp from Day 1.

I was interested to see how he’d come through the summer and if he was ready to go, he was definitely ready to go, and he continues to not just kick it, you know, with great hang time and have distance but those specialty areas where you’re trying to pin guys, pin people down inside the 10, he’s been really, really consistent that way too.Long snapper, got a veteran there with Kneeland, feel really good about him. And then it’s been really good for our kickers to get in the stadium in the last week for sure but in the last week and a half, they’ve come over and taken a lot more reps. Just the kind of visualization and understanding of depth perception. For all of us, right, you should be able to line up and if it’s a 25 or 35-yard field goal just go out there and kick it, but I think there are a lot of visual things and understanding the inside of the stadium, they continue to do that. On the practice field, it's been super consistent. So it's just a matter of translating that over here and I thought this week was a step up, not just today but in the other days when they’ve been coming over here and doing their thing as well, whether it's with the team or on their own.

On Zabien Brown pushing the veteran cornerbacks

Yeah, you know, I think Zabien’s been someone we’ve talked about a lot just going back even to this spring. His consistency, he’s obviously still young and learning every single day working through his injury early on. But I guess I’m just super proud of how he’s done that. I think there might be some guys that would’ve taken themselves, maybe not from practice but from certain drills or certain reps. He has certainly shown a toughness about him by going out there and competing and really not missing anything as far as what we have approved him to do from a doctor's standpoint. He’s got a great head on his shoulders. He played high-level high school ball and I think that’s helped him translate to being able to emerge and come through here.DaShawn has more snaps under his belt, and a lot of those things show up at times too for him and it's a huge positive. So that group, I think against there’s depth that’s continuing to be created. Numbers-wise, it’s one of our smaller groups. We don’t have as many as we normally would have on a regular year, but each of them understands that that’s on them and they’re bringing it every single day, and Coach Linguist I think has done a tremendous job trying to balance that confidence that they need to have with just continuing to stay on top of them, push them, hold them accountable to a higher standard, higher level every single day.

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Live Updates (Latest at the Top)

- DeBoer, asked about Zabien Brown specifically, said he's "super proud of how he's [fought through injury]". He said he's got a great head on his shoulders. DeBoer acknowledged DaShawn Jones has more snaps under his belt. "Numbers wise, it's one of our smallest group".
- DeBoer compliments James Burnip for having an amazing fall camp. He said he was impressed in the spring but has been much more consistent in the fall. He went on to say kicking and punting in the stadium has been helpful for the entire unit.
- DeBoer named Germie Bernard as a kick and punt returner. He said he's comfortable with him as he's going to make good decisions, but are also looking at bringing along young players in the return roles. He named Jaylen Mbakwe and Ryan Williams specifically as well as Kendrick Law.
- DeBoer said the right tackle is still a position being worked out "until we get some game time reps". Said neither Formby or Pritchett is a liability, just a matter of figuring out who's going to be "our guy".
- DeBoer complimented the cornerbacks for being "on top of receivers all day long".
- DeBoer said the defensive line is doing a really good job against the run.
- DeBoer said despite injury Jaeden Roberts will be able to play week 1.
- Jam Miller was held out of the scrimmage after being "dinged up a week ago". He "could have gone today" if he need to.
- DeBoer said this was the most physical scrimmage since he's been at Alabama but says the team came away "relatively healthy".
- DeBoer complimented the competitive nature of the receivers and defensive backs at the point of the catch.
- Kalen Deboer said the offense had a few explosive plays but the defense got a few turnovers.
- Alabama emphasized redzone work in the second scrimmage.