Rece Davis Announces Clear Kalen DeBoer Update Amid Alabama Hot Seat Rumors

All eyes are on Kalen DeBoer to prove he's the man to steer the Alabama ship as the program navigates its post-Saban future.

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Look at any so-called hot seat ranking for college football head coaches entering the 2026 season, and you just might find Kalen DeBoer’s name listed in that group.

It sounds like heresy to see the name of Alabama’s head coach being included on any hot seat, and judging by what College GameDay host Rece Davis has to say about the situation, you would be right to feel that way this season.

Rece Davis chimes in on Kalen DeBoer’s future with Alabama

“I don’t think his job is in any jeopardy, barring some type of empty elevator shaft season, and I don’t see that at all. I think they’re going to be pretty good,” Davis said to The Pat McAfee Show.

"I think Kalen DeBoer and Alabama are gonna be pretty good..

I believe that Shane Beamer and South Carolina are going to be one of the surprise teams in the country" ~ @ReceDavis #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/dKljHt86NS

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 20, 2026

Alabama looked to be falling down that empty elevator shaft back in January, when it failed to muster even a touchdown against eventual national champion Indiana in the Rose Bowl playoff quarterfinal game.

That loss, in particular, is one major reason the hot seat chatter exists. Alabama had already missed the expanded College Football Playoff in DeBoer’s first season, and the Indiana loss raised an uncomfortable question as the Crimson Tide jockeys for national position in the post-Nick Saban era: is this program actually moving forward anymore?

There are clear reasons for optimism, too. DeBoer has now had two full recruiting cycles to shape his roster, and the 2026 team is much more clearly his program. 

What the Crimson Tide must do in 2026

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Alabama – despite losing its top blocker in Kadyn Proctor and quarterback Ty Simpson to the NFL Draft – also returns plenty of talent, while the coaching staff has spent the offseason addressing the physicality issues that plagued last season’s team.

DeBoer’s team finished near the bottom of the SEC and 125th nationally in rushing a year ago, making improvement in its ground attack one of the clearest keys to a successful season, especially as the offense breaks in a new, inexperienced quarterback.

Bama faces a tough schedule

Alabama’s schedule will make that improvement more apparent for the College Football Playoff selection committee. They open against East Carolina and then visit Kentucky before hosting Florida State, which beat this team a year ago, and South Carolina, which nearly did.

The real test comes in October, with SEC title favorite Georgia coming back to Tuscaloosa before road trips against Tennessee and then LSU later in the season. Texas A&M also visits Alabama that month, leaving the Crimson Tide little room for error in what is now a nine-game conference slate.

So what would actually put DeBoer in danger? A season that falls well short of the College Football Playoff would likely restart the conversation, particularly if Alabama loses badly in several marquee games.

Another offensive regression, particularly in the running game, would be difficult to explain away. DeBoer’s team cannot afford to look physically overmatched again when the biggest games arrive.

Separating fact from fiction

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Still, there is an important distinction between pressure and an actual hot seat. Alabama extended DeBoer’s contract through the 2033 season back in April, a strong signal that the school remains financially committed to his direction.

That doesn’t mean expectations have been lowered. Alabama is still Alabama, and DeBoer knows that. The goal is to compete for the SEC championship and make a playoff run.

“Will they be a playoff team? I don’t know, but I think they’ll be good,” Davis said.

Good isn’t good enough at Alabama, and it’s up to Kalen DeBoer to prove he can do better.

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