Alabama football is expected to hire Washington’s Kalen DeBoer for its coaching vacancy after Nick Saban’s retirement, according to USA TODAY and other reports.
DeBoer, 49, comes with a championship pedigree. He not only has coached three national championship teams at then-NAIA program Sioux Falls, but also led the Huskies (14-1, 9-0 Pac-12) to the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game this season, ultimately falling to Michigan in just his second season in Seattle.
Part of DeBoer’s success lies in his ability to get the most out of his players, as he inherited a Washington roster that finished 4-8 in 2021, the season prior to his arrival. (The same appears to have been true for Jim Harbaugh’s 2023 Michigan team, which has the lowest “talent metric” of any CFP-era champion).
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That said, the biggest question DeBoer faces at Alabama is whether he will be able to continue Saban’s incredible streak of recruiting success. The Washington coach never finished with a recruiting class higher than 26th nationally in the two classes he recruited on his own in 2023 and 2024, according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings.
While it’s certainly harder to recruit at Washington than at perennial power Alabama, DeBoer will need to put together impressive classes to maintain the level of play the Crimson Tide is used to.
Here’s a look at DeBoer’s recruiting classes at Washington:
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Kalen DeBoer recruiting rankings
Rankings reflect 247Sports’ Composite rankings
DeBoer helped piece together Washington’s 2022 recruiting class after taking over for the fired Jimmy Lake in November, although he took over just weeks before the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kalen-deboer-recruiting-where-washington-233539234.html
Author : The Tuscaloosa News
Publish date : 2024-01-12 23:35:39
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