Kalen DeBoer explains why WR Noah Rogers has played sparingly in 2026
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Noah Rogers’ Alabama tenure has gotten off to a rocky start. The NC State transfer suffered an injury in the Crimson Tide spring game that delayed his debut until Sept. 26. Since then, he has seen just 12 snaps with the Crimson Tide.
Fans expected Rogers to be a centerpiece of Alabama’s offense when he came to Tuscaloosa. Seeing him mostly reside on the sideline, with his preseason hype, isn’t tracking with Crimson Tide in their minds. Head coach Kalen DeBoer addressed the disconnect on Wednesday’s conference telecall.
“I think a lot of it is just the other guys that have taken steps forward throughout the course of the season. Rico [Scott] showed up in a big way this last weekend, and he’s been pretty consistent both as a receiver and a blocker,” DeBoer said. “And… with what we’ve done with more tight ends, there’s less reps for the wide receivers.”
“We really think highly of Noah. He’s a really good football player,” DeBoer continued. “We want to find ways to incorporate him into the offense on a higher level with more opportunities. But that always means that you’re taking someone else off the field.”
To DeBoer’s credit, Rogers has made three receptions for 55 yards on his 12 snaps. So, when Rogers is on the field, he’s getting an opportunity to produce. As Keelon Russell gets more comfortable with him, his chances should only increase. Alabama is on bye this weekend before a critical contest vs. LSU on Nov. 7.
