New Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer shares his philosophies on offense, QB position

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – New head coach Kalen DeBoer met with Alabama’s players shortly after he landed at the airport on Friday night. One of the final players to greet DeBoer after he spoke to the team was quarterback Jalen Milroe, who some heard shout, “I’m staying,” as he arrived at the Mal Moore Athletic Facility to hear from the man who will succeed Nick Saban.

New coaches and returning players, especially at the quarterback position, don’t always mix, as we have seen in the transfer portal era. But DeBoer told print reporters on Saturday he is willing to adapt his offense around the skills of his players, particularly behind center.

“We’ve won different ways,” DeBoer said. “We’ve won national championships with guys who would rather run before throw, and we’ve won it with guys who are pure pocket passers and not very mobile. I think a flexibility of our offense to work around the personnel is huge.”

DeBoer is an offensive coach, having been a coordinator in between stops as a head coach at Sioux Falls, Fresno State, Washington and now Alabama. His offensive coordinator at his last two stints was Ryan Grubb, who is expected to follow him to Tuscaloosa to call plays.

DeBoer said his Crimson Tide offense will be quarterback-driven, and Alabama welcomes back an experienced starter in Milroe, who led the team with 2,834 yards, 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions last year. Also set to return to the UA quarterback room are Ty Simpson and Dylan Lonergan, while the Tide signed top high school prospect, Julian Sayin.

He also said the quarterback needs to be “a great leader.” Milroe, who will be a redshirt junior this fall, was voted a permanent captain by his Tide teammates, along with Malachi Moore and Dallas Turner. Milroe impacted Alabama’s 2023 roster on and off the field, and DeBoer wants that from his signal-caller. But he also knows that Milroe can’t do it alone.

“We need to make sure, though, that the skill around him is all a threat to score from anywhere on the football field,” DeBoer said. “I understand sometimes with tight ends or something like that might not be that, but that person is on the field for purpose to help us be explosive, and then everything starts up front with our offensive line.”

Last season, the Washington offense was one of the best in the nation. The Huskies capped the 2023 campaign with the country’s second-best passing offense (343.7 yards per game) and also finished ranked inside the 15 nationally in both total offense (462.1 ypg, 12th) and scoring offense (36.0 points per game, 13th). UW quarterback Michael Penix Jr. led the nation with 4,903 passing yards to go along with 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last fall.

The Huskies also produced a pair of 1,000-yard receivers, as well as a 1,000-yard rusher who ran behind an offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award as the best unit in the country. 

Alabama will have to replace some key pieces from last year’s offense – including all three of its starting wide receivers, two starters along the offensive line and its top two running backs – but DeBoer’s offensive philosophy remains the same as he takes over the program.

“We will be explosive, I can promise you that,” DeBoer said. “We will be aggressive. We will attack. We understand that the game was meant to be played one way still, and that’s to be physical and dominating the line of scrimmage, and control it from both sides of the ball will always be a staple of our program.”

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