If you’re looking for the sunshine-infused, Crimson-colored glasses analysis of why the 2025 Alabama Crimson Tide will be a College Football Playoff contender… this ain’t a column for you.
Why? Because for all the talent Alabama has – and the Tide have plenty – I see plenty of speed bumps and roadblocks and landslides and Diego Pavia-style nightmares on the horizon for coach Kalen DeBoer’s team starting Aug. 30 when hapless Florida State is on the other sideline.
Can Alabama contend in 2025? Absolutely. Will the Tide be contenders? Here are 5 reasons Alabama that answer may ultimately be no:
1. Fall open QB competition
There are times when having 2 quality quarterbacks available are a good thing. After all, Alabama managed to keep Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts on campus together for 3 seasons.
But are really any winners between the 3-way battle with Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell? The short answer is no, because there just isn’t much evidence to suggest that any of 3 three are the NFL-caliber talent that Tagovailoa and Hurts were.
Yes, Simpson (4 seasons in the program) has the most experience in Alabama’s quarterback room. But Mack is the only Crimson Tide quarterback with a touchdown pass to his name. And Russell? Well, he is the highest-rated Alabama QB signee since Bryce Young – but that is still speculation.
2. Lack of pass rush
The Crimson Tide defense barely breathed on opposing quarterbacks last season, ranking 13th in the SEC in sacks. And there is precious little evidence to suggest that Alabama has improved its edge rushing talent heading into 2025.
Simply put, there are no pure pass rushers on the roster in the mold of Will Anderson Jr. or Dallas Turner. Which means that getting to the quarterback could mean doing so from the interior – which is less than ideal. Listen, it is true that the defensive line room has veteran talent like LT Overton, James Smith and Tim Keenan. But a veteran presence doesn’t equal the ability to chase down the dude trying to throw the football.
3. Offensive line full of questions
One thing the Nick Saban-era Crimson Tide teams churned out year after year was quality offensive linemen. And it is true that the shining star of the 2025 Alabama offensive lineman is a Saban-era holdover – junior Kadyn Proctor, who has consensus first-round NFL potential.
But beyond the 6-7, 366-pound Proctor? More question marks than a typist convention. If Alabama wants to assert its will on offense this season, it has to get quality production from not just Proctor but also Wilkin Formby, Jaeden Roberts, Parker Brailsford, Geno VanDeMark and Kam Dewberry. (Note: Roberts and Brailsford were second-team preseason All-SEC selections this year at SEC Media Days.)
4. An insane schedule
Caveat time: Is Alabama’s schedule on par with the ridiculous setup that Florida has tried to succeed against the past 2 seasons? No. But there aren’t a whole lot of cupcakes on the 2025 Tide slate, either.
An opening trip to Tallahassee has all the potential of being trap-tastic if Alabama overlooks a Florida State team eager to erase the memory of its 2-10 debacle from 2024. And welcoming Wisconsin to Bryant-Denny Stadium on Sept. 13 won’t be a picnic even if the Badgers were picked in the bottom half of the Big Ten.
But the real test in 2025, unsurprisingly, will be once the Tide hit the SEC. Going to Missouri on Oct. 11 and to South Carolina on Oct. 25 could be places we see Alabama slip up. And the season-ending trip to Auburn on Nov. 29 is a nightmare under ideal circumstances. The home tests are just that, too, as Tennessee on Oct. 18, Oklahoma on Nov. 15 and LSU on Nov. 8 all are potential losses waiting to happen.
Note that I didn’t even mention Vanderbilt at home Oct. 4. Lightning simply can’t strike twice… right?
5. The Saban Factor
Whether DeBoer likes it or not, the fact that Nick Saban is still a presence around Tuscaloosa doesn’t do him or the Crimson Tide any favors. Any and every slip-up/stumble/hangnail gets magnified against the “What would Nick do?” lens – which could be paralyzing for even the most hardened of coaching psyches.
Add in the Talking Season Special that was “Will Saban return to coaching?” escapade at SEC Media Days, and DeBoer has gotta feel like he needs to look over his shoulder when entering rooms. This situation does not engender success, and there is precisely zilch DeBoer and Alabama can do about it.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
