It didn’t take long for Kalen DeBoer to get pulled into the rumor mill in Tuscaloosa.
Ever since the end of the 2024 season, there’s been a lot of chatter, even rumors about Alabama's top playmaker Ryan Williams. Things really exploded when an AFC coordinator told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that Alabama’s top skill players, including Williams, might have jumped into the transfer portal if quarterback Jalen Milroe had decided to return for another season.
For anyone who believed Williams might’ve been half-out the door last December, the report was an indication that thoes rumors might have had a kernel of truth in them after all. But DeBoer wasn’t having it—and he didn’t tiptoe around his feelings about the narrative either.
Speaking on Sports Radio 93.3 KJR out in Seattle, DeBoer addressed the report head-on and made it clear he wasn’t buying the dramatic version of the story. "
I think I’ve heard that same quote, and I think the word ‘all’ was used," he said. "So whenever absolutes are used like that, I kind of question it right there. The words ‘never’ and ‘always’ and ‘all’ — I think that’s a little far-fetched."
Still, DeBoer’s comments don’t completely shut the door on the idea that some frustration existed.
After all, even though Milroe left for the NFL and avoided testing the waters on a third season at Alabama, six receivers still entered the transfer portal anyway. That movement didn't necessarily shake the program’s foundation—none of the guys who left were major contributors—but it does suggest there was at least a little bit of instability following Nick Saban’s retirement and DeBoer entering his second season.
But the guys who really matter? They’re still in Tuscaloosa. Ryan Williams is back. Germie Bernard is back. And Miami transfer Isaiah Horton is ready to make an impact. That’s a pretty strong nucleus for whoever ends up winning the starting quarterback job this fall. Whether it’s Ty Simpson (the perceived favorite), Austin Mack, or Keelon Russell, they’ll have no shortage of weapons to work with—something DeBoer made sure to point out.
But, it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.