Kalen DeBoer reacts to first use of helmet communication at Alabama spring practice

Last Friday it was announced that the upcoming college football season is expected to feature coach-to-player helmet communication, with the NCAA Football Rules Committee proposing optional technology rules for the 2024 season.

The Alabama Crimson Tide were able to use the new technology in their first spring practice on Monday in Tuscaloosa. With new head coach Kalen DeBoer pulling back the curtain on how the test run of new helmet communication faired for his players and coaches.

“Yeah we were doing it today, so we had it out there,” DeBoer said Monday. “With supply and demand across the country, we aren’t able to have as many as what the max would be but we had a couple quarterbacks with that in and I haven’t heard any feedback yet.”

“I think early on a couple times it was maybe a little hard to hear one way or another. I don’t think it was because it was too soft, I think was actually because it was too loud. But I’m sure that will get tested in our stadium at some point.”

The push for coach-to-player helmet communication comes off of the heels of Michigan‘s sign-stealing scandal that surfaced last football season, centered around Wolverines’ staffer Connor Stalions appearing at opponent’s games and recording their signals on an electronic device.

Coaches being able to relay play calls to their players would surely reduce signs being stolen from opposing sidelines and beyond. But DeBoer does not sound fully convinced that it solves every problem surrounding stealing plays.

“I think there’s a lot of reasons for it that I know can be positive. I don’t know if it answers all the concerns that you might have when it comes to some of the things that people says it automatically fixes. Maybe sign stealing and things like that, because I think there’s other ways where it could go the other way just with being intentional and trying to get a call and being able to echo it through your defensive headset,” DeBoer explained. “Could go on and on with that but it was good.”

Next football season is also expected to feature a two-minute warning and the use of tablets on the sidelines and at halftime for players and coaches to scout and make adjustments using game film in real-time. The NCAA Football Rules Committee seems to be making a push towards resembling the NFL level of football.

But all in all, DeBoer gave the first trial of the new helmet communication system a thumbs up following his first-ever practice with the Crimson Tide.

“I think the quarterbacks are getting used to it. I saw a couple times putting their hand up to their helmet just listening. But for the most part, it seemed pretty clean,” DeBoer concluded.