Kalen DeBoer lists multiple return options Alabama has at its disposal

Alabama football still hasn’t decided on who they will send back deep to field kickoffs and punts during 2025 season, according to Kalen DeBoer.

The Crimson Tide are in the process of dwindling down the list of viable candidates who could be counted on as return men on special teams this fall.

In 2024, DeBoer and company opened the season entrusting Cole Adams as their primary punt returner. Adams averaged 5.3 yards per return on 11 attempts for 58 total yards in seven games before suffering a season-ending leg injury. The Tide also leaned on the services of former Alabama, now Kentucky wideout Kendrick Law, along with Jaylen Mbakwe and Ryan Williams in moments throughout last season. This array of different options, accompanied by new additions on special teams, is why DeBoer says Alabama football still has yet to decide upon a starter back deep.

“We haven’t decided who the starter will be back there,” DeBoer told reporters on Saturday after Alabama football’s second scrimmage. “Guys that did a good job a year ago, we’ve got Cole back there, really in both, he started out as our punt returner a year ago. And he’s done a nice job, just being steady. And then, new faces, we’ve got Rico (Scott), probably kickoff return, you know, can do some things back there for us. And then Bak (Jaylen Mwbakwe), in both areas as well, he and Cole I think can do both and prove a combination of just consistency with fielding it and then some explosiveness there. I would start with those guys but there’s more.”

DeBoer went on to elaborate on the other options the Tide could possibly explore based on experience and trust ahead of this fall.

“Ryan had great experience there last year,” DeBoer said. “He had a couple of explosive plays and got thrown into action when Bak went down through the season. And I would have 100 percent confidence having Germie Bernard sit back there to field punts and things like that. So, that’s kind of the nuts and bolts of kind of who we’d put back there.”

DeBoer and the Tide’s special team staff, led by special teams coordinator Jay Nunez, will now spend the duration of fall camp weighing their options before announcing who Alabama will send back deep in their season opener against Florida State on August 30th in Tallahassee.