Alabama’s season opener against Western Kentucky is approaching the 72-hour mark.
The Alabama football program underwent more changes than anyone could have imagined this offseason, including the hiring of Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer, who signed his contract with Alabama about 48 hours after the seven-time national champions (six with Alabama) announced his resignation on Jan. 10.
A typical home game between one of the nation’s top five teams and an unranked member of the Group of Five isn’t exactly a must-see for the college football world as a whole. But the Crimson Tide and Hilltoppers will go against that norm Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium because of the chaos this offseason has been in Tuscaloosa.
Still, the AP’s 2023 College Football Coach of the Year is treating this game like any other season opener, meaning the overall changes his respective opponents have made in the offseason are difficult to process when watching the footage.
“When you play that first game, there are a lot of faces on both sides of the ball that are listed as transfers and there are the players that are returning,” DeBoer said during the SEC coaches’ conference call on Wednesday. “You know a little bit about them, but even some of those guys could switch positions.”
The only player DeBoer mentioned during the conference call was WKU transfer quarterback TJ Finley, who will be the team’s starter on Saturday. Finley is 0-2 in two starts against the Crimson Tide, losing a 55-17 game as a freshman for LSU and a 24-22 game in four overtimes as a sophomore for Auburn. He most recently transferred from Texas State.
“A new face, but we know him because he’s played at different places and even some of our staff has competed against him,” DeBoer said. “So you try to translate that into what you see from a schematic standpoint for Western Kentucky.”
DeBoer explained that there should be many similarities between Western Kentucky on Saturday and their last game, primarily because current head coach Tyson Helton was promoted from his position as the Hilltoppers’ offensive coordinator last year.
“The one thing you know is there’s a lot of continuity within the strategies because of the coaching staff,” DeBoer said. “I understand the offensive coordinator position is new, but with Coach Helton being focused on the offensive background, a lot of it is expected to stay the same, continuity on the defensive side and also on the special teams.”
DeBoer backed up that statement by discussing some of Western Kentucky’s position groups, but there are other groups and players on the roster that call that into question.
“On offense, there are several players, both at the running back position and receiver position, that are reaching the 500-yard mark,” DeBoer said. “Then, of course, a receiver coming back from injury last year who had a great performance two years ago. On defense, there are a lot of new faces. Some players even moved from a corner closer to the box and so on.”
Finally, DeBoer briefly explained on Saturday what he told the Crimson Tide about dealing with Western Kentucky’s similarities and differences from last season.
“We tell our guys, whether it’s here or any other game I’ve ever coached, they have a starting point, but they have to be willing to adjust and evolve and prepare as best they can,” DeBoer said. “But be prepared to have to talk, especially after the first drive or two when you get to the sideline.”
Alabama’s first game of the Kalen DeBoer era begins Saturday, August 31 at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
