What Kalen DeBoer Said after Alabama Football's Fourth Spring Practice

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama football was back on the practice fields Tuesday after over a week off for spring break.

Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer spoke to the media after Tuesday's practice.

Full Transcript

Opening statement

“It’s good to get back from spring break.

“I guess before I get into the team, exciting time, I know, for a lot of sports, but in particular, our men’s and women’s basketball teams. Just want to congratulate them on great seasons. I know we’re excited about what this weekend and the rest of the month holds for them. We’ll be rooting them on. Some great coaches, Coach Curry and Coach Oats, just doing a great job with their teams.

“Today, a good practice. Just a lot of work from beginning to end. Second day with shells on, and so, you saw the physicality ramp up. Good energy coming off of spring break. I’ve seen times over the course of the years where there’s a lull. Didn’t feel like that was the case at all. Guys were ready to go. And I think having three practices before we took the break got their minds on football. I think that’s always a big deal. It just keeps them thinking about what they should be working on, focusing on, the priorities, and they come back ready to go.”

On if he has any concerns or apprehensions coming off a longer break for spring break...

“I guess my experiences – I’ve had times where we’ve taken up to two weeks off, and I got nervous about that one time and the guys coming back, and just like we did today, came back ready to go. It’s good. It’s gonna go really fast here because all of a sudden Practice 4 is over. We’re gonna get through the weekend, and by the end of next week, we’ll have a scrimmage next Thursday. It’s gonna happen pretty quickly, and when you get to that point, you’re almost half done with the whole 15 practices.

“But the guys were sharp. Again, beautiful weather out there. So how could you not enjoy the day that we had.”

On the running backs as a whole, transfer Dre’lyn Washington...

"It’s nice to see. We had just some health issues throughout the season last year. So I’m gonna be honest, there’s some times where I’m seeing things for the first time, too, with a few of them. We know what Jam can do. You all know, as well, and have seen a lot of them. He continues to just work, whether it’s in the weight room here in the offseason and then just a new quarterback and do his thing there. Most of the stuff is the same, but even a few little things that we’re doing differently just to fit him in the offense. Things that Coach Grubb brings. Things that we just want to continue to evolve as we know our personnel better, know what Jam does really well.

"But the rest of the guys, you brought up Dre. I think he’s a little combination of kind of all of the guys. Kevin’s probably our shiftiest, kind of explosive guy on the roster. Dre’s compact, much like maybe you’d see with Daniel and Rich, but got some shiftiness to him. I like his mindset. He just comes here ready to work. He knows he’s got a lot to learn and focused on what he can control.”

How will he make up the lost production from Jalen Milroe's QB runs?

"You kind of think, ‘Well, the runs Jalen had just translate over to running backs.’ But I think a lot of it was the style of offense, too. To me, those runs go to the running backs, but they also might be a few more pass attempts that you have that the play-action games gets opened up by more handoffs to the tailback. I see a lot of that kind of developing right now with the play-action game because there are more carries that the running backs have. The system is the same. The concepts are the same. It’s just what direction you call more plays when it comes to the style of runs, which are definitely tailback-oriented right now, for sure, than what we saw a year ago.”

On freshman wide receivers Lotzier Brooks and Derek Meadows

"Derek, when you look at him out there, you can pick him out anywhere, right? He’s long and has a presence about him. I saw a one-on-one rep today that was really neat to see him use his body. Sometimes guys that are like that, they’ve got that presence, but they don’t use it. And he used it. Really got a long wingspan, so just get the ball in the vicinity, and he’ll come down with it.

"Lotzeir is really explosive. They’ve both got a lot to learn when it comes to just feeling comfortable in the offense, and when that happens, then being quarterback-friendly and being where you’re supposed to be, especially on time. But Lotzeir’s got some of those instincts. Sometimes it’s hard to find guys. It’s not hard to find him. And he can finish those plays. When a ball is in the air, he can get that little burst to get underneath of it. Those ones that are just off the fingertips, it seems like he’s finding a way to haul them in. Got that little extra juice and can make good outside-the-body type of catches. So really like what we see early on with those two guys."

On his assessment of the new coaching staff...

"With the rules last year we really had Chuck Morrell coaching the linebackers, we just didn't make it publicly known until after the season; so Kane is kind of operating the same as he did last year. One thing I think he is doing more of is getting around. He really trusts Chuck Morrell in the linebacker room, and he'll still have a presence there. A lot of the calls go through the linebackers, but he's had a really good chance to get around to the defensive backs, the guys up front and I really like that. Make sure everyone's on the same page, the same messages are coming across.

"And then with Ryan, I think he's still right now spending most of his time with the skill positions around the quarterbacks. He's a believer, just like I am, that if you're the play caller, definitely got to be locked on arms and in sync with your quarterback, so they're still around each other a lot. Nick's doing a great job coaching up the quarterbacks. Has that rapport with them, as you'd guess, from being around all year. I think there'll come a point in time where Ryan can see kind of everything, too. So it's really gone well here through the first couple weeks."

How can the coaching staff improve from Year 1 to Year 2?

"Well, continuity is huge, right. Continuity with your staff, because now you're not teaching your staff new concepts and the techniques and the things that we want to do, or even just not even related to football, the logistical things, recruiting and all that we just keep moving forward. We evolve. We adjust based on what we we feel we need to areas, we need to grow. And so that continuity is really key. Even Jason Jones, he knows the defense. He was with Kane Wommack at Indiana so him sliding in was really easy. And that wasn't the reason why we hired him, it just worked out that way. He was a great coach, first and foremost, and then that familiarity with our defense has just been a really smooth transition. So for us, the continuity is really key, because now we can take the next steps with all of our guys, and we know our personnel, and we're not having to re-learn things. Ryan Grubb is really the only one that's had to get up to speed and he's poured into the film, watched all of our season I know more than once and understands what our guys are capable of."

On Cole Adams and the other options at slot wide receiver...

"I think we have a number of things that we can we can do Cole, first of all, easing into things; the slot is definitely his spot he feels the most comfortable. He's always when I talk about quarterback friendly, he's that guy that is friendly with the quarterback in the right place, the heady guy gonna make the catches that are there for him, be consistent that way. Just working in, you know, kind of building on what he did last fall before he got hurt. One thing in the slot that bringing in like an Isaiah Horton and having more length on the outside now, with Jalen Hale too, has allowed Ryan to move around different spots. Between he and Germie Bernard, and really I think Isaiah could play maybe not the slot all the time, but these guys are very versatile. They kind of have their starting points, but can we can move around and I think that is really what we like to do. We want to have a very unpredictable offense, and so certain guys in certain spots don't carry over from week to week, and we can utilize their strength."

Can Lotzier Brooks also play at slot?

"I would say that's probably his starting point right there. You think right away 'get the ball to him and let him do his thing', but he's really good down the field too. Has really good body control, can win on defenders down the field and not just in the first couple yards and when he's got the ball in his hands. So he's been really impressive."

On what he's seen from the specialists...

"I've been pleased so far. I think Conor, last fall you could kinda see him continue to gain confidence. I think it was great he got out there whether it was just to kick off; that was an important role. He did a really good job, I thought, most of the time, got better as the season went along. And I think that's just carried over into him being more consistent than what I remember seeing, for sure, last spring, but also more consistent from last fall. He’s doing a good job of getting the ball up quick on the field goals. I think, just really in control. I really haven't seen him have, like, a bad kick. You're not going to be 100 percent, but it's not like there's ones where you're like, 'Where'd that come from?' So he's doing a really good job there.

"There are a number of guys working with the long snapping.

"With Alex being hurt we don’t have our full group of punters, but I like whatI see there. Burnip's going to be tough to replace. I don’t know if there’s another Burnip right now just because he’s different. He’s the best I’ve ever been around when it comes to punters. We were towards the top in the country for a reason. There are schematic things, but there’s also just the kicking the football. We’ve got to continue to do a good job with our punting, but also do a good job with our coverage units and execution there."

What he's seen from Wilkin Formby and OL overall...

"He’s been mostly at right tackle. It’s not a big deal, but he was sick for a couple of days in there and missed a couple of practices. Allowed the other guys to get some reps, which was really good because we’re going to need those guys, too, some young bodies in there on the offensive line. He went back out there today.

"What stood out to me the first practice in particular, the first two actually, is his leadership. I'm encouraging that out of him, and he's taken the next step in being just more aggressive that way, which I think then carries over into confidence and play on the football field. He’s out there making the calls with confidence. It starts with Parker and works its way out. That right side now is kind of the veteran side with he and J-Rob (Jaeden Roberts) and Parker at center, so I like what he brings. He's had a good off-season in the weight room.”

On the left guard position...

"A few different guys rotating. Geno has to take snaps at center along with playing guard. He's versatile that way, and we want to take advantage of that, so we want to have him be able to compete at the interior spots, but also make sure we've got a center ready to go, too, and a guy that can takes reps with the 2s with him.

"And then Dewberry has done a nice job, too. You can see him coming along every day, getting more and more comfortable. It takes time for those guys from communication on to trust and execution. Been a few different tackle bodies in their with Kadyn being out, too. So it's been a little bit of a by committee type situation there on the left side through the first couple of practices."

What he's noticed from Ryan Grubb being back...

"He's motivated and determined just like I know he's always been to take our offense to the next level. I think he has an appreciation for what we did installing and working through, but ready to keep evolving it like we would have hoped to have done anyway. Just a few different wrinkles, few things that he's even brought from his experiences last year that are gonna be really helpful to our offense, and I'm excited about.

"Done a great job just diving in with our staff. And there were some prior relationships obviously with Nick and Shep, but really getting to know Bryan Ellis and Coach Kap–– just bringing that group together and the chemsitry there that just trickles down to your players being really important.

"Obviously he's got some great play-calling experience, you can feel that little edge he brings. Excited about that. There’s a reason we brought him in, very unique situation, but one I’m certainly familiar with from many years of working with him."

Full Transcript

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