No offense to Washington, but Kalen DeBoer was happy to bring former Huskies to Alabama

The ERA of NIL deals has created a new reality in college football and perhaps few coaches know that better than new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer.

Legendary Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban retired, and though DeBoer was an awesome pick to replace him coming off a championship appearance with the Washington Huskies — several star Tide players and recruits ended up leaving Alabama via the transfer portal.

That's life in 2024, and it's not like DeBoer didn't benefit from the portal, either. Upon his hiring at Alabama, several players from Washington decided to follow him down south, such as wide receiver Germie Bernard, quarterback Austin Mack and offensive lineman Parker Brailsford.

Recently speaking on "The Pat McAfee Show", DeBoer revealed that while he doesn't want to hurt his legacy at Washington — where he coached in 2022 and 2023 — he was happy to help his former players at UW find a better fit.

"I want nothing but the places I’ve invested a lot of time in to be successful in the future. That’s Washington, Fresno State. Those places are special places. You want to be part of the legacy looking back that you continue to build on. The people after you, they may be even better than when you were there," DeBoer said (h/t On3). “There was a few guys in the portal that if they’re gonna go anywhere other than Washington, I certainly want to have them here because I trust and believe in them. Not just as players, but as people. So we’ve had a few of those situations here in the last week.”

Speaking of bringing in players that he trusts, DeBoer still may have a chance to bring in cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, who is in the transfer portal but has not made a decision. Muhammad notched 41 tackles, 14 passes defended and and three interceptions last season for the Huskies.