Paul Finebaum describes the 'extremely positive' reviews on Kalen DeBoer's first spring at Alabama

With a bit of insider info, Paul Finebaum is investing in Alabama early this offseason. During an appearance on “McElroy and Cubelic,” Finebaum raved about head coach Kalen DeBoer’s early success this spring.

“I think back to that Friday in January when everything that could go wrong went wrong,” Finebaum said. “When Caleb Downs bailed out. When [Julian] Sayin simply backed out of his agreement with Alabama to head to Ohio State. And I think about today.

“[Kalen DeBoer] has come in and done it his way. He brought his people. Some came with him and some left but, ultimately, he’s putting his imprint on the program,” Finebaum said. “What I’m hearing from from this distance is extremely positive. What players are saying, what people around that program are saying, and I think this will show up in the record, that’s why I’m pretty bullish on Alabama.”

DeBoer certainly got off to a rocky start at Alabama. Only seven days after Alabama named DeBoer its next head coach, safety Caleb Downs transferred to Ohio State. It was a significant blow to DeBoer.

The former five-star prospect was named the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year, the SEC Freshman of the Year, and the SEC Newcomer of the Year this past season. Downs also became the first Alabama freshman to lead the team in tackles in program history.

Downs wasn’t the only highly-touted talent who decided to take his talents away from Alabama. Five-star quarterback Julian Sayin rescinded his commitment to Alabama and committed to Ohio State just two days after Downs.

In total, Alabama saw 17 players enter the transfer portal after DeBoer was named head coach. Nonetheless, Alabama didn’t simply accept its losses. The team added multiple former Washington players and overhauled its coaching staff.

Finebaum is excited to see what the Crimson Tide brings in this fall.

“They have a really good team,” Finebaum said. “The atmosphere is gonna improve. This is where he could have faced a very difficult path if he got off to a negative start, if he couldn’t turn it around and then loss or two early, and suddenly he’s dealing with something that he’s never dealt with before. But, I think positive energy is very important for his program and he has it right now.

“This program has a phenomenal infrastructure that’s been in existence. This isn’t 30 years ago when a new coach took over and looks around and goes, ‘What’s wrong with this program? The facilities are terrible.’ That happened after [Bear] Bryant. That happened at other junctures. Kalen DeBoer doesn’t have to rebuild this house. He just has to fine-tune it and that’s what’s happening right now.”