Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer on tampering allegations, fourth-down philosophy, depth charts, and more

fire away question all right good morning this is kind of the time where uh weeks fly by pretty quickly it seems like it's it's slow and a lot of days uh you know a lot of work being put in and all boom school starts and you know that was yesterday and then today you know you just keep uh itching closer but it seems like these days uh stack up faster so uh we're getting close and um the guys are certainly getting to that point I don't want to say we're there yet but getting that point where uh we need to hit someone else you know and see where we're at but we'll start getting into some Western Kentucky here over the weekend some prep on that there's been some things here and there that we've done uh just putting film in front of them and uh a couple looks here and there but uh this will really really where we kind of dial in and focus uh specifically on them so putting our depth charts together here over the weekend uh you know got obviously a pretty good idea in All Phases where things are going uh with most but just really dialing in and those details are the things we're really paying attention to right now so uh questions and before we get started the uh Miami of Ohio coach accused you guys of tampering with the recruitment of Graham Nicholson do you have a response to that I don't know anything about that I guess that comment um yeah I mean you entered the portal and it reached out to him so that's how it goes right so uh we did everything that we were supposed to he's an older player coach but what have you loved about Kobe prin is wide receiver in that room kind of a veteran guy yeah you know Kobe brings speed um he's got some experience um you know just everything that I think can really fit well into the offense um you know he can play inside and outside and so you know that's uh something that I think we're really trying to really groom all our receivers to do is be very versatile and I think that's an area where he's uh you know kind of grown his game through fall Camp um but you know when he gets when he gets in space and someone's one-on-one with him uh there's very few people that can keep up we've seen that you know this spring summer fall Camp uh just the ability to run and I think he's really again under coach Shep and and being pushed by the rest of the Corp uh really done a good job um you know really improving his game so I'm proud of where he's at in the direction he's going mentioned the dep CH just what's your philosophy of making that public out before week one out some coaches have different VI on that yeah I mean it it it we'll probably do something where it's public you know at some point throughout the week um you know a lot of it is also uh um just kind of where it's at with our opponent too you know that's really a you kind you kind of know especially after week one the week Zer the week one game is probably the trickiest but um there's so much information on us that's out there already uh I always kind of assume that that is known by our opponent um so there'll be there'll be some things I think for the most part 90% uh of it is kind of already known obviously the Special Teams pieces are still out there the other 10% or whatever you want to call it uh I would say that some of those things are still kind of up in the air going to be a work in progress and not solidified uh if you got a depth chart there might be some ores in different spots uh and that's you know hopefully understandable kayen a philosophical question for you past couple years you guys have gone on fourth down a good bit and especially in your own territory a few times with that too what is your mentality or just overall approach I know each is different but what kind of approach you take to decisions in those moments yeah this is something that you know I talk about with a team we did this uh before the first scrimmage because we talk about being in those moments and those fourth down situations on both sides of the ball um you know and just what what that means when we are going forward because I think it means that you have confidence that you can get it offensively but it also means that you have confidence in a defense that can go out there and not you know not just you know collapse if they're put in a tough spot where you come up short on the offensive fourth down conversion so uh we we specifically talk about that we get in situations and scrimmages and move the ball um situations all Camp long all spring long too where we are very intentional on understanding when it comes to fourth down it's just another play it's another down yeah it's an important one um but we can't just lock up and realize it's feel like it's Do or Die um and go out there and just execute the play just do what we're supposed to I think when it comes to the decision um you know I would say that the mindset is we want to be aggressive but we're not going to be Reckless and that's what I tell the guys that's what I tell the team uh we're going to play a team game uh in Team game you know means that if there's situations we really feel are favorable situations where uh we we feel like we can get it or that we really need to based on the flow of the game even uh we we we for it so yeah there's I think last year there were some right at the end of the season um but if you look at the numbers it isn't like we're that much more I'd probably say we're in the middle of the pack roughly on how many times we go for it other than the championship game when you're forced to go for it uh so you know I I don't think like we're Reckless but we take those right times and uh try to take advantage of them and go forward how would you describe the importance of courney to the staff yeah he's super critical um you know he's he's the guy I mean I know it's been said many times but he's the guy that you know came down with me you know uh when I got the opportunity to come here and you know we just mesh so well uh just you know I feel like there's a trust that exists I mean there's a trust that I have with all our staff members but having worked with him now just be going on year four and known him for longer that I understand what he's all about understand you know he's relationship driven that he does a great job of identifying and evaluating he has a team that he leads uh he he leads in a way and you know I think we've worked together to figure out the leadership and the and the way we want to operate um you know he doesn't probably like a lot like I would say I don't micromanage every move and every every minute of the day by people but you really try to provide an environment where your staff and in his case his recruiting staff uh for the most part there's other elements to it to uh when he heard the GM but uh there's there's just a lot of elements that he just oversees and we've you know continued I think hire the right people and let them go work and uh Courtney you know when it comes to recruiting piece obviously we've been successful and he's a major major piece of that and I'm excited for you know what's to come in the future with him here in this program for sure coach you you guys brought in a lot of help at safety with the portal with Keon Sab cam Howard King Mack those guys how do you think they' come into the program being from somewhere else and kind of assimilated yeah they're they're really important um you know from a starting position like a key on to just younger guys and some depends on who you're talking about uh in different roles that are going to be really important for us uh in certain packages um not just depth in my mind and So Special Teams uh these guys have really come in they're not just great players but they're they're people and guys who have who really Blended in well and got really became really accepted with our team quickly and that's a tribute to who they are as people and the work they put in so I'm really appreciative of how important they've been and uh every day you know they just feel like they've been here forever been part of this team just like all these guys have been there two three four years coach speak you of special teams NE hit long staffer going this last season from Alabama he was a guy that walked on became one of the best long Snappers in the conference what have you learned about him in your first few months so yeah um you know so we gave nean a scholarship and I didn't wasn't sure even internally how to handle that cuz I didn't know the you know I wanted to surprise him and and we did that but he's he's got that uh he deserves that he's uh he's Rock Solid and just a great person he we have senior talks that we do and he started us off last week and knocked it out of the park and just you can see the type of leader that he is and um you know how much the guys Trust and Believe in him uh how much they respect him and so he's you know I think the Long Snapper right like many specialists is is a guy that you under value most people do until all of a sudden those times come when uh the the lights are bright and that snap's not made that Kick's not made you know or it's a a punt that didn't uh you know end how it was supposed to so uh he's just really trustworthy and he's great to have on his team how did it come about having JJ Watts be to the team youall play Wisconson then just overall kind of what was your philosophy with Camp speaker yeah I think there was some connections actually with him prior to even me being here but just I wanted to find guys uh and we really low had less speakers come in because I wanted to still be more about probably myself and our staff laying down the culture and us taking those team meetings uh and as a first year group together uh making it more about us but you know it's been a great tradition and it was exciting to carry on the tradition with JJ Watt um Chris Paul um and we had a speaker kind of on on life in general with Hunter pinky come in too uh but these guys I think the cool thing with especially JJ and and Chris Paul is that they're still playing or they you know JJ just recently retired but they're still playing and they are Elite they did it for many years um I thought it was awesome having you know someone seems like you always bring in the offensive guys and the quarterbacks or whoever you know and you know he came in and spoke from the defensive side of things and got a chance to spend some time with the D line and uh they picked up a few tricks too so uh it was really cool he had a great message uh sacrifice commitment is a common theme I think with most of the speakers that came in and we know that that's what it takes to be great and uh they they emphasize that team captain announc preseason before the uh season started can you talk about just what went into that and um how eacham yeah I think there's levels to the leadership we need every guy I tell them if they have influence on anyone they're a leader which is pretty much our whole team and these guys are the ones that were for the most part best of the best wherever whatever school they're at so they're used to being leaders and doesn't mean that you know a freshman can't lead we're going to have some freshman on the football field that got to be great leaders out there this fall but uh we have un Council uh which is another level and layer to the leadership U then the the the captains and that's just kind of how it was always felt there's just this smaller group that you really can go to that you uh feel certainly have the you know the ears of the team and and can get up in front of them and I thought our team did a great job picking four guys that uh are going to you know pour everything into every day going to have great messages not afraid to get up in front and and say what they feel when that it's needed most but I'm also going to emphasize to our whole team that we have to have a whole team full of leaders and so it just can't fall on those four guys and I'm really careful to make sure I emphasize that because I don't want just those four guys feeling like the whole weight's got to be on them we need a whole team obviously scheme's a big part of what would you say about your coaching style lends itself to developing quarterbacks it seems like you've had a lot of success at that position is there an approach you have with them that maybe lends to that yeah I would I would say it's an everyday thing it's an every rep thing when they come off you know you want to be able to go through with them what they were thinking what uh what they could you know do better what their you know just thought process execution all of that and so there's tools you gotta teach them and you know I feel like for the most part what they come in with with emotion and things like that you know probably 85 90% of that is what you're going to have to work with so it's not about o overhauling a throwing motion or anything like that it's about really them grasping football them grasping what it takes to win teaching them to be great leaders you're working footwork drills you're working you know um you know accuracy you're working all those type of things too but uh just the mental piece I think is so important and them you know feeling comfortable with what you're doing I don't ever want them running a play where there's a split you know just even a doubt in their mind of anything whether it's them or that someone else doesn't know what they're doing that's lined up with them on the field so it's just being in sync with them and uh as a quarterback you know having that communication whether it's the coordinator and the quarterback myself with both of them um you know it's just so critical to be aligned and our response because the quarterback's going to be seen his body language his you know what he says uh we talk through all that not just daily but after almost every you know set of plays you know we're talking about those things and highlighting it and uh with them emphasizing with them and I think just when you keep stacking those moments on top of each other that's how you develop a greatb coach I think it was a 2019 is when you first crossed paths with Nick Sheridan at Indiana what did he show you that year that made you want to bring with you to Washington and then down here to tusco Toc there's a lot of things but I'd say it would be a combination of just a brilliant mind uh helping me bring our offense into Indiana that year and him being able to be that I don't know lison or just that that that set of ears that could decipher um you know evaluate process with me what was going to be the smoothest way for us to to make that happen happened he did that also when we went to Washington you know just really having a big picture of you understanding the things that you got to have to have a successful offense whether it's week one or week 12 whatever Time of the Season it is uh knowing the tools you need the the concepts the formations the wrinkles um seeing defenses being able to you know just mentally I mean just quick you know make decisions um just a bright bright coach and I can see it right away uh and then there's the personal side where he has great relationships with the with his team with the team with uh the coaches on the staff uh he's a team player through and through but just all of those things and just people you want to align yourself with and so saw that really quickly I told him over and over especially you know that was five years ago you know I wasn't at that spot when I was that age you know and I told him over and over again and uh know he's got a bright future not just uh as an offensive coordinator as a head coach someday shared yesterday talked to us a lot about education and the emphasis that you put on it with the team starting classes and I wondered a couple of other aspects of Education if the what the challenges are with say a kid who uh reclassifies late or uh transfers who are coming in from other schools where what are their are their credits going to transfer that sort of thing yeah you know from that standpoint we we can't take those guys until we have approval that you know everything is in good standing and and so that that deals with compliance and and you know be able to get into majors and things like that but uh you know I'm proud of our guys you know academically this spring they had a 3.2 GPA I mean it's a whole team uh for the semester and that 85 of3 of our players this spring had over a 3.0 and they're getting degrees and this summer uh it was almost right at that same number with the GPA that's a time when you know They Know The Season's coming and summer I've seen some places it's a it's you know a little more lowkey with the academic uh Focus uh these guys are just well-rounded and that gives you a good sense of the maturity of our team I thought even a practice and not jumping off the the academic side but I thought a practice like today where there's a lot of physical but mental a lot of mental um it shows the maturity of our team and I don't think we're there yet I think there's a lot of room for growth and Improvement we got a lot of young guys a lot of new faces in our program you know probably close to what 35 40 new scholarship guys in our in our team but our maturity and and want to and all that shows in our academics uh and I'm super proud of them taking care of that so that there's less distractions to do so they focus on what they really love to do and that's play football coach after 18 practices what would you say is the biggest area Improvement You' seen course of the preseason I like how consistent we've become here at the end I thought you know speaking with you also on Saturday talked about the physicality of it uh around I think we're in a good spot with uh you know fall Camp you always wor about getting the legs back and things like that I think you know there's not accumulative fatigue that's that's happened with our team I think we're we're getting stronger and um but the consistency both sides of the ball don't feel like there's days where we come out and you just don't know what you're going to get I think you know what you're going to get for the most part you know it's some days depending on the install it might be better for one side of the ball than the other but I know I'm going to get great effort and and know you know that they're going to work together know that we can uh change tempos in practice and they're going to be able to adjust and they're going to listen I challenge them in a big way for this session we just had out here it's something I've I've seen happen over the years that with a lot of special teams and transitions can just it can fall apart on you these guys thrived you know got done about 10 minutes earlier than I even expected so I love I love that about them again we got a lot of things that we got to always continue to work on I tell them that every snap we play from beginning to end of the season we're get we're going to get better and we got to you know have a one and0 mindset you've probably heard that from them as well but a one mindset because every snap we're still learning we're still learning a new system in all areas and so I'm proud of the way they come to work every day but that consistency has been been something I'm proud of would you ever want to take the team to Ireland or even some other country playing one of these season opener game yeah I think I think there's the right time and you know when you've been in a program for for a while and you want to continue to expand uh situ things like that I've looked into those uh different times uh different places I think it's going be tough you know a first year or two um to do something like that but you know there's just more and more things you want to put in front of these guys and experiences you want to give them so I think that's that's pretty cool Cy mentioned last night how rare it is for the roster to stay as healthy as it has been in Camp just how have you been able to manage players bodies the last couple weeks here yeah I think that our training staff has done a great job job um one thing know I'm just talking to our training training staff here this morning even just yesterday you know they got classes so it was really our first day and then being in this new Rhythm new routine uh they saw guys all afternoon just coming in it doesn't mean that we you know guys got dings and stuff but they're prehab rehab whatever it might be you know they're just living in the training room they're around the facility in the afternoon just feel like we're stealing hours that way uh in and around classes you know after practi just uh in between meals you know all that good stuff so I think that has led to a team that's you know for the most part pretty healthy you know so that's uh that's what's going to take because every rep like I said is going to be really important for our growth and development uh Ryan Williams you know zav Brown I'm just curious what have you seen from those freshman through fall Camp yeah they're just both you know so Advanced uh in different ways you know might be athleticism uh and so just you know maturity and understanding what the commitment is that you know that age I think a lot of guys you know don't realize what it really takes and they still probably don't completely understand but they're farther along in figuring that out than most guys that come in and so uh they've you know been thrown in there and realize there's opportunity and I love how they've taken advantage of their opportunities and not just uh taking it for granted that more and more are going to going to come so um whe they're working through and you guys saw I mean zavan working through his his he got dinged up you know a few weeks back and that showed a lot right there that he wants to be out there just you know not that there was an option or anything you know but you just went out there and wanted to go and get some reps you know and easily could have said I'm not comfortable yet and been on the sideline a little bit more but uh they're they're getting better they're going to continue to get better because of just how young they are still coach the put out his tiebreakers for the SEC Championship coming up in December did you get get a chance to look at that and if so what are your thoughts of those tie Breakers yeah I just got I just took a someone sent it to me I just took a screenshot of it and haven't really digested and gone through it something I was going to do here the next day or two last one jadden Roberts right now I know you said Jaden was going to be ready for week one but just how he's look just stepping in yeah yeah Gino you said yep yep uh yeah Gino you know he's you know the reason he came in is for exactly what we're what we're looking at you know he's a guy that's got some snaps in his belt you really don't feel like you know you're losing much I mean that's not you know a knock on Jadon jadon's exceptional you know and he's he's a standard but uh you know that Gino can come in and just 18 practices in or he was even less than that come in and play guard play center uh he's done a great job and the thing I to say about Gino is he loves the work I think it was probably two or three days into it you know I saw him in the hallway this summer and just asked him how things are going and you know in his own words I can't say those words right now uh here but in his own words he he expressed that he loved the work that these guys put in he loved just the mindset and and that's really cool to hear because he's like these are the hardest work routs I've ever been through uh it says a lot about him wanting to be great and you can see that out there again he's he's refining uh he's working on it every day he's you know getting better at snapping the ball he's getting better at uh you know playing playing guard here this week for sure uh so you know I'm just really appreciative that he's here with us that's that's 100% all right thanks awesome thank you