Kalen DeBoer spotlights desire, love of Alabama as DeVonta Smith assumes leadership role

Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer is just a few short days away from his first game (Aug. 31 vs. Western Kentucky) as the head man of the ship of the Crimson Tide program. Fans can’t wait. And neither can the former Washington Huskies’ head coach. On the “Hey Coach & The Kalen DeBoer Show” on Wednesday evening, DeBoer fielded a question from someone in the audience about cornerback DeVonta Smith.

What will his impact on the Alabama secondary be this fall? And how is he handling stepping up into a leadership role on such a young unit?

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“He’s been great here especially this fall where he’s been healthy,” DeBoer explained. “This spring, he was kind of coming back and in the summer as well. He brings great speed. And he’s got a high motor. Got a lot of want to, we call it. High desire to be great. He loves this program. And has done a great job of really being serious and showing the younger guys that have been around what it takes and what it’s all about.

“His story, I think, is very well known around the team, you know. With some of those injuries that he’s had. And it’s just fun being around guys who have continued to stay the course like he has. But you know, he’s really in that safety room, in that Husky position, which is our Nickel kind of, position. He’s done a great job there. He can line up and play man-to-man and also come up off the edge and stop the run. So, really important position in our defense.”

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In 2023, Smith spent the first part of the season rehabbing from an injury. He eventually returned to the field against the Kentucky Wildcats and played in four games for the Tide. He saw action in the SEC Championship Game against the Georgia Bulldogs, finishing the season with four tackles. All of those came against the UT-Chattanooga Mocs.

Coming out of La Salle High School (Cincinnati, Ohio) Smith was tabbed as the No. 179 overall prospect in the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He was also ranked as the No. 13 cornerback in America and a four-star prospect.

DeBoer and the Crimson Tide will kick off their season on Saturday, August 31st against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EST. Earlier in the week, Alabama was listed as 30.5 favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.