TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama’s sudden potential to reach the SEC Championship game despite midseason struggles disappeared in a flash in the Crimson Tide’s 24-3 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. Alabama (8-3, 4-3 SEC) can no longer reach the conference title game and its College Football Playoff hopes are now in serious jeopardy.
The season isn’t over for Alabama despite its fleeting playoff hopes. The Tide is looking to finish the regular season on a high with a victory over Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday. Alabama is on a five-game win streak against its bitter in-state rival and would also prevent Auburn (5-6, 2-5) from becoming bowl-eligible with a victory.
However, as the campaign comes to a close, Kalen DeBoer and his staff will be quickly thrust into roster-management mode. The Early Signing Period for the Class of 2025 begins four days after the Iron Bowl on Dec. 4, with the winter transfer window opening shortly after on Dec. 9-28.
After a disappointing loss that likely eliminates the Tide from any major postseason competition, DeBoer and the staff are looking to balance staying focused on finishing the regular season strong with a victory in the Iron Bowl and preparing for what is expected to be a busy offseason. The key to that balance has been the players trusting the staff to have conversations about their future throughout the season.
“I think that’s one thing with our staff — the relationships that exist there’s little conversations that happen periodically and they might happen at different times, different guys just because they feel open to talk to our staff,” DeBoer said. “And yes, there’s different levels of conversations. Some of them are initiated not just by us but by the players and just talking through it and getting our input. That’s not the focus right now. The focus is on the Iron Bowl. The focus is on the regular season. But I think just in the sidebar conversations they’re looking to our staff as mentors and they have their families, they have the people that they go to away from the building as well.”
Alabama has already had two players announce their intentions to enter the transfer portal in linebacker Keanu Koht and defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis. The Tide will also have to deal with potential NFL Draft announcements and other potential portal departures next month. Alabama has also recruited a class that ranks No. 5 in the country in DeBoer’s first season and is attempting to ward off teams making a final push to poach its future talent.
DeBoer got a taste of an offseason in the SEC after taking over at Alabama last season. As another busy winter period looms, the first-year Tide coach said his staff’s continued discussions with players and behind-the-scenes roster construction has his side in a good position to make important decisions in December.
“I’m comfortable where we’re at," DeBoer said. "The roster management piece is a huge deal, the signing class in particular and then obviously you’re always — it isn’t just a end of the season thing anymore it’s a constant, year-round management of the roster and kind of having a beat on what you think and feel might happen and what you gotta be ready for when that time comes.”
As for the players on the current roster, the mindset remains the same. Linebacker Jihaad Campbell has sent strong messages about players buying in over the last two weeks and Tyler Booker shared a similar message after the Oklahoma loss, emphasizing that the team's mindset is on extending its win streak against Auburn to five games, rather than the important decisions to follow.
“Nobody’s jumping ship,” Booker said. “Everybody who’s here wants to be here. Just the love that we all have for one another, that’s what’s going to keep us together. And we’re going to continue to stay together and we’re going to continue to improve for however many games we have left. And we’re not worried about anything past next week. We’re just worried about going 1-0."
