Kalen DeBoer has 'open mind' as returning starters battle to keep jobs

New Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer has an “open mind” with his depth chart entering his first season with the Crimson Tide.

Just because a player was a starter last year, under the previous staff, doesn’t mean that they are guaranteed to keep their starting job. Instead, several position battles occurred during spring practice and will continue into fall camp.

Kalen DeBoer recently spoke with Ryen Russillo about the challenge of taking over a program and balancing what a player did in the past versus having open competitions for starting spots.

“We certainly are always going to be open. I think saying blank slate is maybe a little bit too much… but we do have an open mind, I think, because there aren’t these preconceived ideas and thoughts,” Kalen DeBoer said.

“You hear things when you’re talking to people, whether it’s the players… and you kind of understand maybe what their role was before, what they’re looking for, maybe where guys were a little frustrated. But I do think we’ve been able to mesh and pull together the roster.”

DeBoer added that he looks at each position with its own lens. Yes, there are some places where there are no-doubt starters heading into the season. But there are also several spots where intense position battles are happening.

He believes that having a brand new staff in Tuscaloosa gives everyone an equal opportunity.

“We do have some different breaks at different positions in particular where there’s some older guys and it’s pretty clear and obvious based on the experiences they’ve had where they’re at when it comes to the depth chart,” Kalen DeBoer said. “And then there’s some gaps where there’s some young guys where they’re having to step in roles and getting opportunities that maybe, in a lot of other programs, they wouldn’t have had.

“Some of that’s due to graduations or the draft. Some of it’s due to even guys who left and entered the portal. So trying to pull it all together.”

Overall, DeBoer feels good about where the Alabama roster is at. He insists that his players have been selfless since he took over and they only want what’s best for the team.

“When you have low egos, and I feel like our guys really do… they want what’s best for this program and they want to continue a legacy, they’ll take on that role,” DeBoer said. “And they probably see it, too. They know where they fit in just as much as anyone.”