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Kalen DeBoer urges Alabama roster to ‘give me a chance’ before testing portal
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Kalen DeBoer knows Alabama has a threat of losing players in the transfer portal after replacing Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa. However, he is hoping the current roster will give him a chance to show what he is bringing to the program.
Already, star receiver Isaiah Bond has hit the transfer portal, and he is reportedly taking a visit to Texas this weekend. If Bond does leave, it would be a big loss for DeBoer’s initial season with the Crimson Tide.
During his Saturday introduction, DeBoer admitted the threat of losing players is “real strong, really strong” per Charlie Potter with On3 Sports. DeBoer acknowledged rival coaches looking for opportunities to add to their teams and spotting a potential to also “hurt one of your competitors” at the same time.
As for his message to the program, DeBoer is urging the current roster to “give me a chance.” He understands his vision is one that cannot be bought into “until you truly know me,” so he’s hoping the Tide players give him a chance to illustrate what he’s all about.
“I think I tried to show them a little bit of my vision, but I also told them that I understand you can’t buy into my vision until you truly know me,” DeBoer said. “So just give me a chance. Give me a chance to show you a few of the things. I’m going to listen to you. I’m going to meet you where you’re at right now and try to show them through some proof of things that have happened, whether it’s at Washington. We haven’t gotten into much beyond that.
“But what this will look like, how great it will be out there on the football field because of what we’re doing schematically, because of the people that are going to be around you as you show up in the weight room for that workout and the people that are around you from a coaching staff standpoint developing you. Show them that their development and what we’ve done with guys moving on to the NFL in the past and how we do that, that it’s special.”
Will DeBoer’s pitch be successful? Alabama’s players will get a 30-day window from the coaching change to enter the transfer portal. While Bond is currently in the portal, he — and any other player that tests the portal — will have the option to withdraw and remain with the program.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
