Kalen DeBoer's chief goal for Alabama in 2025 should be to make the Crimson Tide scary again

Fresh off a thrilling victory over Kansas State in September 2017, Vanderbilt defensive lineman Nifae Lealao stepped in front of the microphone for his postgame interview feeling confident. The Commodores were 3-0 and felt good. So during his nationally-televised moment, Lealao decided to talk a little trash.

“When you come to our house, we show you how to play some SEC ball,” Lealao said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, you’re going to know what ball we play. Alabama you’re next.”

According to former Alabama running back Damien Harris, coach Nick Saban played that interview for the team before the Crimson Tide practiced the following week. Saban didn’t say a word. He presented the video, then led his team out to go prepare for Vanderbilt.

The final score? Alabama 59, Vanderbilt 0. To this day, that clip circulates on social media as a cautionary tale of what happens when you’re brave enough to talk about big, bad Bama.

Though there were probably others who dared to talk trash to Alabama during the Saban era, it was pointless. Saban was the best coach on the planet, the Crimson Tide had the best players and they won the most. There was no arguing greatness. Everyone knew and accepted who was king.

Now, more than a year past Saban’s retirement, we’re in the dead heat of the offseason and people are opening their mouths up about Alabama. Two different players — Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos — both have taken public shots at the Crimson Tide.

It got me thinking: Alabama isn’t scaring people anymore and restoring that reality should be the chief goal for second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. People think Alabama is down? People are opening their mouths? Go beat the crap out of them this fall and remind the world that Alabama is still a premier program, one that will stuff you in a locker if you start feeling too good about yourself.

Let’s review what Castellanos and Pavia said.

In a story with On3’s Pete Nakos on Monday, Castellanos said this: “I dreamed of moments like this. I dreamed of playing against Alabama. They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”

As it goes for Pavia, he was responding to words initially spoken this offseason by Alabama wideout Ryan Williams, who said the Crimson Tide were going to treat Vandy like “killing an ant with a sledgehammer.” Pavia, who led Vanderbilt to a win over Alabama in 2024, was well within his rights to respond, especially as he spent the offseason preparing to defend a win. Pavia took to Instagram, reposted On3’s graphic illustrating what Williams said, played Gucci Mane’s “Made It (Outro)” and displayed lyrics that read, “They actin’ like they tough but don’t want no confrontation.”

Florida State, coming off a 2-10 season, is talking smack?

Vanderbilt, a team that spent basically its entire existence at the bottom of the SEC, is implying to Alabama that the Crimson Tide don’t want confrontation? Oh, and Vanderbilt has the right to actually say those words having won last year’s game?

Enough.

There’s no replacing Saban. DeBoer knew that going into the job and he still took it. It’s going to take a whole lot of winning for a long period of time before Alabama can get back the superpower it possessed under Saban’s leadership. That superpower? The Crimson Tide won games coming off the bus. Alabama was in opponents heads, and even though it was bigger, stronger and faster, it didn’t lose closely-contested games against inferior opponents because other teams were scared. Saban strolling the sideline was terrifying for people.

After the Vanderbilt loss a year ago, I compared Saban to prime Tiger Woods in trying to illustrate what the Crimson Tide lost with the GOAT’s departure. Here’s an excerpt:

When Tiger Woods was at the height of his dominance on the PGA Tour, he’d find himself on the back nine of major tournaments against other golfers separated by a few strokes. So intimidated by the presence of the great Tiger Woods, so many of those professional golfers messed up, melting in the heat of the moment. People wilted around Woods even when he wasn’t playing spectacularly. The image, the reputation of the man made others quiver. Psychology is so much of sports.

Again, it’s going to take a while for DeBoer to come close to having that. There is maybe one other coach in college football — Kirby Smart — that could claim to possess that edge.

But you know what DeBoer can do starting this year? Mash people. Grind Castellanos into the dirt. Stuff Pavia into a locker. Run up the score on these undersized quarterbacks with oversized mouths. Remind those who have forgotten what Alabama was. No, what Alabama is.

That’s all Alabama fans want, right?

Most of the people in Tuscaloosa know what they had in Saban and they’re rational enough to understand the program would have transition pains, regardless of who was hired. But as we head into 2025, the general consensus is that Alabama is a thing of the past and DeBoer is in over his head. People have forgotten DeBoer led Washington — yes, Washington — to the national title game less than two years ago.

The one thing Alabama still has is a talent advantage. DeBoer teamed back up with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and returns a large chunk of the team it had last year. The Crimson Tide still have to work through who is going to be the starting quarterback — and whether that quarterback is going to be elite — but they should still be a top-tier SEC team this season.

DeBoer gets some grace, at least from me. Sure, last season didn’t live up to the standard. Losing to Vanderbilt and a decimated Oklahoma team is bad, no question, but last season doesn’t define Alabama. DeBoer signed an elite-level recruiting class in 2025, maintained a big chunk of the roster and had an excellent portal class. On paper, there aren’t many teams with as much talent as Alabama. The Crimson Tide are still good enough to make the CFP and possibly go on a run.

Nobody has to tell DeBoer what’s at stake. People in Alabama aren’t patient, nor should they be given what they know is possible for their program.

So go do it. Be scary again. The longer you live in a world where you aren’t, the harder it is to get back.