After going just 9-4 in 2024, Alabama earned its lowest placement in the Associated Press' 2025 preseason college football rankings since 2008. Entering Kalen DeBoer's second year at the helm, the Crimson Tide will begin the year at No. 8, making them the third-highest-ranked team in the SEC.

DeBoer's first season would have been seen as a success at most programs, but the standard within Alabama football is substantially higher. After a promising start, the Crimson Tide ended the year on a 5-5 stretch that included bad-looking upset losses to Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and Michigan. They would miss the College Football Playoffs for just the third time since its inception in 2014, a disappointing result considering the expanded 12-team field.

As DeBoer settles into year two, he will have t

See Full Page