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USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Previewing King Mack's 2025 season after return to Penn State
You've heard of Return of the King and Return of the Mack, but this offseason marked the return of King Mack, a former 4-star safety. Mack committed to Penn State out of high school and spent his freshman season in Happy Valley before transferring to Alabama for one season. After a year with the Crimson Tide, Mack transferred back to Penn State, where he'll likely become a contributor on the two-deep in 2025. Here's a preview of his 2025 season with the Nittany Lions. 2024 in review In his lone season in Tuscaloosa, Mack saw time as a rotational piece, recording 14 tackles. The Crimson Tide took a step back in its first year led by coach Kalen DeBoer, finishing the regular season 9-3 before losing to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Biggest question in 2025 Mack's biggest question in 2025 is how he'll adapt to new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles' scheme. Knowles has said his defense will be a combination of what he ran at Ohio State and what Penn State ran last year under Tom Allen, but Mack has no experience with either scheme. Knowles has been praised for his creativity, specifically on blitz packages, but his playbook can be hard to learn in one season. 2025 will be a success if… This season will be a success if Mack sees a significant bump in playing time, setting the stage for him to take over as a starter in 2026. With veteran safety Zakee Wheatley likely to depart after this year, Mack can put himself in position to start next fall with a strong year off the bench. 2025 will be a disappointment if… One of Mack's biggest weaknesses is his size, listed at 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds. This makes it difficult for him to tackle larger receivers or running backs, something he struggled with at times throughout his first two collegiate seasons. Adding size and strength this offseason will be critical in preparing him for many of the Big Ten players he'll match up against. If Mack can't improve as a tackle, the season may not go the way he wants. Realistic outlook for 2025 Penn State lost safeties Kevin Winston Jr. and Jaylen Reed to the NFL, opening the door for more playing time for Mack. The expectation is he'll contribute on the two-deep, likely setting career bests in tackles. Given Knowles' exotic blitz packages, he may also record his first tackles for loss since arriving in college.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kalen DeBoer addresses the Alabama football standard, and what it means
ATLANTA — Did Alabama football hold up its standard in 2024? The question was as simple as the answer was easy, but Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer juggled the ball just a bit before getting around to the inescapable conclusion: no. At SEC Media Days Wednesday, DeBoer also fielded queries about his team's quarterback competition, scheduling and coaching staff changes. He handled them all with aplomb, but none of those hit quite as hard. None of those boiled his first season at the UA helm, in replacement of a living legend in Nick Saban, down to the bottom-line disappointment that it was. A program that had made a routine of qualifying for a four-team playoff managed to miss out on a 12-teamer, and two losses in particular — a letdown at Vanderbilt, and no-show at Oklahoma when a CFP berth was there for the taking — left the Crimson Tide with nobody to blame but itself. SMOKED: Alabama football lineman claims 'team grill master' status TALKING SEASON: Alabama football LB Lawson on FSU QB's brash remarks: 'All disrespect will be addressed' So was the standard met? "In which way? To me personally?," DeBoer first asked, as if there might be some daylight between his perception of the standard and that of the fan base. "What you evaluate to be the 'Bama standard," came the questioner's clarification. "If you internally ask us, no. We fell short of making the playoffs. It's as simple as that, right? Giving yourself a chance to go compete for a championship," DeBoer replied. "I think there's a lot of things that I'm super proud of that have happened within the program that are part of the progression. Yeah, we want it right now, too. Yeah, we fell short." The Alabama standard, of course, is an eye-of-the-beholder concept. Saban himself used to encapsulate it simply as "playing winning football," which can mean different things to different people. It certainly doesn't demand winning every game, or every championship. But there's plenty of consensus around its meaning in November, when the College Football Playoff selection committee is busy christening some programs and crushing others. History can't be made without first acquiring one of the CFP's 12 golden tickets. But let's not pretend merely qualifying for the CFP is DeBoer's ticket to a happy fan base, either. Crimson Tide supporters won't flood the streets with jubilance over a season that ends, for instance, in a first-round playoff loss. Qualifying for the CFP was a high bar for any program to clear when it was a four-team party. At 12 teams, it's still a high bar at most schools, but a low one at Alabama. DeBoer enters Year Two at a place where ReliaQuest Bowl trophies (which Alabama didn't even take home) might as well be used for door stoppers. And also, a place where coaches that win even one national championship are revered with bronze statues outside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama faces a difficult schedule with new faces at both offensive coordinator and quarterback, which isn't historically a championship recipe. It won't be surprising if its veteran defense has to carry extra weight at the beginning of the season, when the Crimson Tide will face both Florida State and Georgia in the first four weeks. It will navigate a three-game stretch against Tennessee, South Carolina and LSU, and the road trip to face the Gamecocks just might prove to be the toughest contest in that trio. For DeBoer, Year Two is fast-approaching. But the standard doesn't move an inch. Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@ Follow on @chasegoodbread. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Kalen DeBoer, the Alabama football standard, and Year Two expectations
NBC Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Kalen DeBoer is looking to escape Nick Saban's shadow and lead Tide back to playoffs in 2nd season
ATLANTA — Four years without a national championship feels like a severe drought for veteran Alabama players. Similarly, one year of missing the College Football Playoff has second-year coach Kalen DeBoer feeling the pressure to restore the Crimson Tide's status as one of the nation's top teams in 2025. When asked Wednesday at the Southeastern Conference media days if a 9-4 finish in his 2024 debut season met the Alabama standard, DeBoer said: 'I mean, if you internally ask us, no. We fell short of making the playoffs. It's as simple as that, right? Giving yourself a chance to go compete for a championship.' DeBoer's task is especially difficult because he's the coach who followed Nick Saban, who led Alabama to its last national championship in 2020. It was Alabama's sixth championship under Saban since 2009. Junior offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor said Wednesday the Crimson Tide players have endured a painful wait to reach the standard set by Saban. 'For the whole team honestly we obviously know that we haven't won a championship in a long time,' Proctor said. 'And that's everybody's goal at the end of the season.' Included in Alabama's 9-4 season under DeBoer was a 5-3 SEC mark that included road losses at Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Alabama was No. 17 in the final AP Top 25 following a 19-13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida. DeBoer, who coached the 2023 Washington team to the national championship game, says added familiarity and continuity on his staff are reasons to expect improvement. Defensive lineman Tim Keenan said another reason the Crimson Tide will be better is players believe in DeBoer. Keenan hinted the shadow of Saban followed DeBoer in 2024. 'It's definitely changed,' Keenan said. 'You definitely see guys definitely bought in. If they're not here, no knock to them, but everyone who is here now, they believe in the system. They believe in Coach DeBoer.' Ryan Grubb, who worked on DeBoer's staff at Washington, was hired as Alabama's offensive coordinator after one season with the Seattle Seahawks. Keenan said he respects DeBoer for having the confidence to follow Saban. 'I know a lot of people say they want to do that, but they ain't got the courage enough to do it,' Keenan said. 'So I'm gonna go hard for my coach, always. 'Just, you know it's Coach Saban, like the greatest coach of all time. The GOAT. You know, greatest of all time. So to take that responsibility, saying. 'I'm going to take over for him now.' ... I believe in him. And also, I know that God was going to put the right person in the right place at the right time, and he's in the right place at the right time.' DeBoer said Alabama 'fell short' last season. 'We've got to be better in the big moments,' DeBoer said. 'We lost some close games last year. We had chances maybe not even in the fourth quarter, but early in the game to separate ourselves or make a play here or there. Whether it was the belief or whether it was the confidence, a lot of that just comes through repetitions. We really had a great offseason understanding where we fell short, why we fell short. Not just the what and the how but the why. 'I'm excited about our guys taking those next steps, understanding when we get in those moments this year, those critical times, how to come through and make the play that's necessary to go win football games.'
3 days ago
- Sport
Kalen DeBoer is looking to escape Nick Saban's shadow and lead Tide back to playoffs in 2nd season
ATLANTA -- Four years without a national championship feels like a severe drought for veteran Alabama players. Similarly, one year of missing the College Football Playoff has second-year coach Kalen DeBoer feeling the pressure to restore the Crimson Tide's status as one of the nation's top teams in 2025. When asked Wednesday at the Southeastern Conference media days if a 9-4 finish in his 2024 debut season met the Alabama standard, DeBoer said: 'I mean, if you internally ask us, no. We fell short of making the playoffs. It's as simple as that, right? Giving yourself a chance to go compete for a championship.' DeBoer's task is especially difficult because he's the coach who followed Nick Saban, who led Alabama to its last national championship in 2020. It was Alabama's sixth championship under Saban since 2009. Junior offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor said Wednesday the Crimson Tide players have endured a painful wait to reach the standard set by Saban. 'For the whole team honestly we obviously know that we haven't won a championship in a long time,' Proctor said. 'And that's everybody's goal at the end of the season.' Included in Alabama's 9-4 season under DeBoer was a 5-3 SEC mark that included road losses at Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Alabama was No. 17 in the final AP Top 25 following a 19-13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida. DeBoer, who coached the 2023 Washington team to the national championship game, says added familiarity and continuity on his staff are reasons to expect improvement. Defensive lineman Tim Keenan said another reason the Crimson Tide will be better is players believe in DeBoer. Keenan hinted the shadow of Saban followed DeBoer in 2024. 'It's definitely changed," Keenan said. 'You definitely see guys definitely bought in. If they're not here, no knock to them, but everyone who is here now, they believe in the system. They believe in Coach DeBoer.' Ryan Grubb, who worked on DeBoer's staff at Washington, was hired as Alabama's offensive coordinator after one season with the Seattle Seahawks. Keenan said he respects DeBoer for having the confidence to follow Saban. 'I know a lot of people say they want to do that, but they ain't got the courage enough to do it,' Keenan said. "So I'm gonna go hard for my coach, always. 'Just, you know it's Coach Saban, like the greatest coach of all time. The GOAT. You know, greatest of all time. So to take that responsibility, saying. 'I'm going to take over for him now.' ... I believe in him. And also, I know that God was going to put the right person in the right place at the right time, and he's in the right place at the right time.' DeBoer said Alabama 'fell short' last season. 'We've got to be better in the big moments,' DeBoer said. "We lost some close games last year. We had chances maybe not even in the fourth quarter, but early in the game to separate ourselves or make a play here or there. Whether it was the belief or whether it was the confidence, a lot of that just comes through repetitions. We really had a great offseason understanding where we fell short, why we fell short. Not just the what and the how but the why. 'I'm excited about our guys taking those next steps, understanding when we get in those moments this year, those critical times, how to come through and make the play that's necessary to go win football games.'
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Kalen DeBoer is looking to escape Nick Saban's shadow and lead Tide back to playoffs in 2nd season
ATLANTA (AP) — Four years without a national championship feels like a severe drought for veteran Alabama players. Similarly, one year of missing the College Football Playoff has second-year coach Kalen DeBoer feeling the pressure to restore the Crimson Tide's status as one of the nation's top teams in 2025. When asked Wednesday at the Southeastern Conference media days if a 9-4 finish in his 2024 debut season met the Alabama standard, DeBoer said: 'I mean, if you internally ask us, no. We fell short of making the playoffs. It's as simple as that, right? Giving yourself a chance to go compete for a championship.' DeBoer's task is especially difficult because he's the coach who followed Nick Saban, who led Alabama to its last national championship in 2020. It was Alabama's sixth championship under Saban since 2009. Junior offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor said Wednesday the Crimson Tide players have endured a painful wait to reach the standard set by Saban. 'For the whole team honestly we obviously know that we haven't won a championship in a long time,' Proctor said. 'And that's everybody's goal at the end of the season.' Included in Alabama's 9-4 season under DeBoer was a 5-3 SEC mark that included road losses at Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Alabama was No. 17 in the final AP Top 25 following a 19-13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida. DeBoer, who coached the 2023 Washington team to the national championship game, says added familiarity and continuity on his staff are reasons to expect improvement. Defensive lineman Tim Keenan said another reason the Crimson Tide will be better is players believe in DeBoer. Keenan hinted the shadow of Saban followed DeBoer in 2024. 'It's definitely changed," Keenan said. 'You definitely see guys definitely bought in. If they're not here, no knock to them, but everyone who is here now, they believe in the system. They believe in Coach DeBoer.' Ryan Grubb, who worked on DeBoer's staff at Washington, was hired as Alabama's offensive coordinator after one season with the Seattle Seahawks. Keenan said he respects DeBoer for having the confidence to follow Saban. 'I know a lot of people say they want to do that, but they ain't got the courage enough to do it,' Keenan said. "So I'm gonna go hard for my coach, always. 'Just, you know it's Coach Saban, like the greatest coach of all time. The GOAT. You know, greatest of all time. So to take that responsibility, saying. 'I'm going to take over for him now.' ... I believe in him. And also, I know that God was going to put the right person in the right place at the right time, and he's in the right place at the right time.' DeBoer said Alabama 'fell short' last season. 'We've got to be better in the big moments,' DeBoer said. "We lost some close games last year. We had chances maybe not even in the fourth quarter, but early in the game to separate ourselves or make a play here or there. Whether it was the belief or whether it was the confidence, a lot of that just comes through repetitions. We really had a great offseason understanding where we fell short, why we fell short. Not just the what and the how but the why. 'I'm excited about our guys taking those next steps, understanding when we get in those moments this year, those critical times, how to come through and make the play that's necessary to go win football games.'
