Everything Kalen DeBoer Said After Alabama Football's Second Scrimmage

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The Alabama football program was in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Friday for its second scrimmage of the spring season. The Crimson Tide is still working out who will start at quarterback and is nursing several key contributors back to full health after a long 2024 season.

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer spent time with the media after the scrimmage and discussed his team's progression.

Opening Statement

"Good afternoon. Usually it’s good morning, right? It was good to get out there in the afternoon. We had class today, so we decided to push back practice. That helped with some recruiting, too. We got some guys here.

"We got the same number of plays in as we did last scrimmage, which was about 115 or so. We split it up, about a little over 50 for each the ones and twos, then the rest with the threes. Very similar structure to last time. Got a little bit more red zone in.

"Battled through a couple of injuries at one position in particular, tight end. I know in a week, you’re going to see these guys or not see them out there. Just to report, Josh Cuevas, he’ll be good for the fall, but he’ll be done for the rest of the spring, then Marshall Pritchett, too. So the tight end position went from kind of lean at one point, with not all the guys already here at that position — Kaleb Edwards isn’t here yet, and Danny Lewis not practicing this spring — so thin there.

"So offense and defense worked together to really try and get the looks we want. Try to make the most of some substitution, things like that, putting guys in certain spots that they’re not used to being in until all of a sudden today.

"Otherwise, got what I think we needed to get done. Continue to get the quarterbacks reps, just mixing and matching different groups — especially on defense, keeping those guys fresh, a lot of guys playing and rotating.

"I think this is a time for us to really take advantage, with the guys that were already not participating in spring ball and then a couple more that I just mentioned, to build that depth, to understand exactly what we have. We know what we’ve got up top with guys who have put a lot of snaps in at Bryant-Denny for us here wearing that ‘Bama jersey, but there’s also a lot of guys that we need to continue to build that depth because we know that’s going to be important as we go through a long SEC season."

What have you seen from the quarterbacks and how did you split the reps between the three?

"I don't want to say it was even across the board, but they all kind of got their shot with the 1s and 2s. Keelon’s doing a great job, but with Ty and Austin, just because they’re older, Keelon’s definitely working with the 2s. He’ll get one reps from time to time, but that's no indication of really, where we feel like he's at. He’s killing it, doing a great job.

"You can see, when he’s out there, he’s getting more and more comfortable moving the ball down the field. If there’s a throw to be made, he’ll make the throw, that’s for sure. Just the learning curve that comes with being young compared to the other two guys.

"There’s a little bit more, as far as understanding the offense and trying to continue to install things. They have a grasps of the basics from day one. They’re all three making throws, making some big-time throws. Thought they all moved the chains at times when they maybe had their backs to the wall, in some second- and third-and-long situations, where they found a way to make a big throw. Obviously someone has to catch it, too.

"They’re continuing to build trust with the offensive line, and then I think it has to go the other way, too, the offensive line is getting used to cadences and getting used to what guys do. Does he usually break to the outside and scramble? Some guys just have those types of instinctual things they do, but they’re all a little different.

"For the receivers, it really doesn’t matter who’s throwing to them. I think all three of those guys throw a catchable ball. Just a matter of who gets up and down the field the best."

Isaiah Horton struggled to block at Miami, how is he doing with that here?

"From a physical standpoint, it shouldn’t be an issue. It’s a mindset (thing) to me. It’s positioning and understanding who we’re trying to get the ball to. I guess it hasn’t been anything that I’ve seen, ever, feeling that it’s a deficiency in any way. He’s a physical presence out there in every way, catching the ball, breaking tackles, and that’s carried over to blocking. In fact, I can think of some drills earlier this spring where he excelled at it. A lot of it is understanding what we’re trying to accomplish, the teaching, and then the want-to."

What have you seen out of Richard Young?

“He’s more physical, a physical back. He got his carries today just like the rest of them. I want to continue to see him grow . The off-season this summer is going to be important for him. He worked through some injuries last year and we worked through that part in the winter phase.

“I think all the running backs in general breaking some tackles, making more explosive plays. They aren’t always going to have this wide open parting of the seas, it's you know, creating and getting off of Rich, but he’s part of the running backs corps.

“I think times when they can get their yards when they need to, put their heads down. I think that’s a strength of his and I think as a corps, as a group, they can all try to do just a little bit more, like maybe when the perfect block isn’t in play, which is going to happen when you’re playing in an SEC game in particular. It’s hard to block and so you have to make some things happen. Want to see this whole group continue to improve in yards after contact, making people miss out in space, and not letting that first guy bring you down.

What have you seen in Ryan Williams this spring and can he play multiple positions on offense?

“We didn’t have Ryan scrimmage today. Just taking care of him. We know what we have there. He may not do much the rest of the spring. Couple of nicks and things like that. If you asked him, he’d be out there and scrimmaging. He was dressed up and ready to go. Just being really careful with the things he’s going through the last week or so.

“He’s a versatile guy. He can play any position, inside, outside, field, boundary, it doesn’t matter. You have to make sure we continue to give him opportunities down the field, the things you saw a year ago, explosive play opportunities, but also a lot of just getting the ball in his hands. We used bubble screens and things like that a year ago that he just created on his own. Now we’ve got to block for him, but we’re moving him around and that’s what the receiving corps gives us. Germ (Germie Bernard) and Isaiah (Horton) can do much the same thing and that’s what you really love is having versatile players – running backs who can line up and do some things out on the perimeter, tight ends that who can play and be flexed out, motion in, put their hands down, but the same thing with the receivers who can play inside and outside.”

Is Ty Simpson on the leadership council a clue to his standing in the QB race?

“No, that leadership group was voted on in January, so it was before spring even started. I would expect Ty to be in on that. He’s been here, put in a lot. I would have voted for Ty to be on that in January as well. He does a great job really, of taking advantage of knowing the guys on the team, helping them, has to take care of his business and he does.

"We ask guys to be leaders and then when you can take care of your business and bring someone with you and he does a great job of that. The other quarterbacks continue to do it in different ways. Keelon (Russell) does it with his presence; he’s not probably going to be as vocal yet; hasn’t been around long enough. Austin (Mack) kind of been there as well, because of the confidence and things he’s done, especially the middle half of last fall, where he started showing the effort and energy that he can bring a team. I think he gained a lot of confidence being a leader as well.”

How are young guys stepping up in the secondary while Domani Jackson and Keon Sabb recover from injury?

“They continue to be … That group, I guess just backtracking here, first of all…

“Keon, just continuing to get feedback and reports. It’s been super positive. Even today, another positive report, probably as positive as we’ve had. And we expected that, but just exciting for him to be able get going and keep taking those steps when you get to those benchmarks and going off to the next level. He’s on track. He’s on pace. It was quite an injury that he was coming back from. The fight, I’m never going to question that because maybe some of you know, but last fall, what he worked through and the way he sacrificed himself, the Tennessee game in particular, kind of that two-game stretch there leading up to it. Man, got a lot of fight. People respect him, and I do too for that.

“The younger guys, they don’t feel like younger guys. I mean, that’s across the board. The 18 guys that came in, early enrolees, I don’t see them as freshmen anymore at all. They’ve really gone out there, and the defensive backfield a year ago at this time — thin, new faces, knew we had to get more faces in. I’m not sure, I think we had one returning corner on scholarship that returned from the season before.

“That position group, both corners and safeties together, have really kind of reconfigured and are playing an extremely high level of football. They’re seeking out, they’re hunting the ball. They’re confident. They love it when other guys make plays. They’re excited for, of course the plays they make, but it’s really cool seeing Mo Linguist and Jason Jones really gel that whole defensive backfield together. And a takeaway’s an expectation for those guys really every single play.”

How are the young linebackers playing in absence of Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson?

"There’s some really young guys. The three freshmen, they’re going to be really good players. We ask a lot out of that position. They’re the ones that wear the earpieces, make the calls. Now going into Year 2, we’re even more diverse than what we were and putting a little bit more on their shoulders. Kind of taking those next steps as a defense with the concepts we’re putting in, refining some of the things we did last year, adding to some of those things as well.

“Abduall [Sanders], Luke [Metz], Duke [Johnson], all three of them have been making plays out there, running sideline-to-sideline. That’s one thing they do best. And then QB [Reese] is a guy that’s out there directing traffic. He had a really good spring as well. I’m proud of the way those guys have just taken the bull by the horns and rolled with it.

“And Justin and Deontae, they’re leadership and they’re engagement with these guys has been something I just got to make a note of, because they remember being that age, the ups and downs that you can go through, and they are right in there every single play. If a big play happens, Justin in particular — because he can go run out there — he’s got as much excitement as anyone when those linebackers, in particular, make a big play.”