Elite recruit makes strong statement about the future of Alabama football under head coach Kalen DeBoer

There are plenty of questions about the future of Alabama Crimson Tide football after the program failed to win at least 10 games in 2024 for the first time since the 2007 season. 

The 2024 season, of course, was Alabama's first season without Nick Saban on the sideline since 2006. 

There were some great moments for Alabama in 2024 under new head coach Kalen DeBoer (the win against the Georgia Bulldogs) and some frustrating moments, too (losses to the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Oklahoma Sooners). 

DeBoer will enter his second season in Tuscaloosa with high expectations after going 9-4 in 2024. 

Elite recruits believe in Kalen DeBoer at Alabama

2026 offensive line recruit Hayden Ainsworth (who recently reclassified from the 2027 class to the 2026 class) is a highly coveted recruit who thinks Alabama will be just fine under DeBoer moving forward. 

Ainsworth, who is being pursued by Alabama, Nebraska, Ole Miss, NC State, Georgia Tech, and Oklahoma (among others), told On3 this week that he believes the Crimson Tide will continue to be a "prestigious program" under DeBoer and his coaching staff. 

“Bama is a team with elite status. Blue Blood. They are the definition of it," said Ainsworth. "It’s a prestigious program and will continue to be under this coaching staff. This revitalizing of their program I think is a blessing and Coach Kap (OL coach Chris Kapilovic) is an elite coach. He’s recruited some big names and the fact he still pursues a relationship with me and other coaches asking me to get up there means the world. I’m huge on relationships and right now that’s what they are excelling at.”

DeBoer and his coaching staff have to go out and prove Ainsworth correct. But the fact that elite recruits feel this way is important. It's impossible to be an elite program without elite recruits. And it's clear that elite recruits believe in DeBoer and his vision for Alabama. 

2025, however, is still a prove-it year for DeBoer. If he can't get the program back to 10 or more wins, the noise is going to get awfully loud in Tuscaloosa.