Alabama Wednesday SEC Media Days Postcard

ATLANTA— Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer and Crimson Tide players were finally heard from at the College Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday during SEC Media Days. DeBoer was joined by veterans Kadyn Proctor, Tim Keenan III and Deontae Lawson.

All three are veteran presences for the team, future NFL hopefuls who have a shared desire to win a national championship before the end of their college careers. A torn ACL sustained by Lawson in late November of 2024 impacted his decision to return to school instead of going to the NFL.

For DeBoer, it's year two since he took over for Nick Saban after the latter's stunning mid-January 2024 retirement. A 9-4 season last year did not meet the expectations of the Crimson Tide fanbase, which wants the same thing the players want: a College Football Playoff trophy.

DeBoer affirmed that Ty Simpson still has the edge in the three-man quarterback race, but he also mentioned things Austin Mack and Keelon Russell have done well. Simpson did not make the trip to Atlanta to be interviewed.

The Crimson Tide coach mentioned that his first year at the helm fell short of the Alabama standard. That standard was a point of focus in the transition between Saban and DeBoer. The expectations when the latter was hired were not to miss the Playoff with regularity.

Watch the above video as BamaCentral beat writers Will Miller and Hunter de Siver briefly recap Alabama's stint at 2025 SEC Media Days in Atlanta. The pair discusses the three players who made the trip, Kalen DeBoer, Ty Simpson and more.