Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer looks on against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Analyst doesn't know what to make of Alabama heading into 2025

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated May 5, 2025 11:45 PM ET

The Alabama Crimson Tide are a bit of a mystery, and if Joel Klatt can't figure them out, perhaps nobody will be able to.

Klatt is not the SEC expert that Paul Finebaum is, but he absolutely knows college football as one of the voices of Fox's coverage of the game. He's forgotten more college football than many know in sum total, but the Crimson Tide are a tricky team for him this spring.

In a recent explanation of this post-spring Top 25, Klatt explained why he had a hard time ranking Alabama. He ultimately checked Kalen DeBoer's team in at No. 9, but he explained that it was a tough call for him.

“I struggled with this team quite a bit. “I did not know where to put Alabama, I just didn’t," Klatt said on his show (h/t On3). "Looks like Ty Simpson is the leader to be the starting quarterback. I like Kalen DeBoer. I thought it was going to be better last year. Was it just not a fit with Jalen Milroe and DeBoer? Maybe. Simpson is a former five-star; he’s been waiting three years for this chance.”

My Post-Spring Top 25 for 2025...Can't wait! pic.twitter.com/gTTP7QjJSr
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) May 5, 2025

While Klatt admitted to having question marks about the Tide in DeBoer's second year in Tuscaloosa, it does seem as if he feels Simpson can give them top-10 production as a quarterback. As mentioned, Simpson was a five-star recruit in the 2022 class out of Martin, Tennessee, and he's been at Alabama for three full seasons now as a backup.

He, himself, is an unknown, with only 50 attempts to his name with no touchdowns (and no interceptions, for what that's worth), but the talent was there as a recruit, and he has great experience in the program as Jalen Milroe's backup in 2023 and 2024. Simpson can score with his legs as well, so he's going to be an intriguing player to watch in 2025. Though DeBoer hasn't named him the starter, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb did come out in mid-April and name him the favorite if the games were being played today.

Still, Simpson is a mystery, just like the rest of this Alabama team.

The Tide were consistent champions under Nick Saban. Can they reclaim that aura in the DeBoer era?

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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