The 2024 season will be special for the simple fact it’s the first time in 17 years that the legendary Nick Saban will not be on the sideline. However, with just 19 days until the start of the season, the excitement for the new head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide Kalen DeBoer is palpable.
Another major change coming to college football this year is the expansion of the College Football Playoff from four to 12 teams. The Crimson Tide qualified for the four-team Playoff in eight of the ten years, so the larger pool size means they’ll be in the Playoff basically every single year.
The Alabama roster will look slightly different this year after several players followed Saban’s exit such as S Caleb Downs to Ohio State and WR Isaiah Bond to Texas. However, the Tide will still be one of the most talented rosters in the sport with a number of future NFL players.
Bill Connelly of ESPN broke down the 25 most important players in 2024’s College Football Playoff race (subscription required). Connelly ranked C Parker Brailsford No. 17 on the list as well as CBs Domani Jackson or/and DaShawn Jones at No. 15. The former Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond ranked No. 14 as well.
WR Kobe Prentice is still waiting for his breakout season in Tuscaloosa after posting 49 grabs for 651 yards and four touchdowns through his first two years. ESPN sees Prentice having a massive impact on this year’s CFP race ranking him No. 10 and saying,
“The vast number of former blue-chippers on the roster is unlike anything DeBoer has worked with to date, but experience still matters, and Prentice and Washington transfer Germie Bernard have far more of it than anyone else. Prentice came off the bench in 2023 but averaged a robust 2.6 yards per route and averaged 17.4 yards over 18 catches. He is the most likely breakout star in the receiving corps, and if he doesn’t break out, Alabama will struggle to clear a top-five bar.”
It goes without saying that Alabama QB Jalen Milroe is the heart and soul of this team. Milroe is the highest returning Heisman vote getter from a season ago and is viewed by many as the best player in college football. ESPN ranks the Crimson Tide signal caller No. 4 on the list saying,
“He throws one of the prettiest deep balls you’ll ever see: He completed 45% of passes thrown at least 25 yards downfield with an average of 44.4 yards per completion and TDs on 57% of completions. Milroe’s ceiling is immense, and his floor is subterranean. Now he’ll suit up for Kalen DeBoer, the guy who helped turn Michael Penix Jr. from a fun but inconsistent player into one of the best quarterbacks in the sport. We don’t yet know if he has the receivers he needs, but Milroe’s ceiling certainly isn’t going to be any lower in 2024.”
For the first time in a long time, it feels like Alabama doesn’t have this massive target on their back and it will be nice to play hunter instead of hunted for once. But don’t be too surprised to see Alabama back in the final four.
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