Did Alabama improve from year one to year two under Kalen DeBoer? @joelklatt: “No… When you get into the playoffs and you don’t have a run game and you’re 120-whatever in yards per carry, guess what you can’t do against Indiana – fake it.”
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Joel Klatt offers shocking opinion of Alabama football under Kalen DeBoer.
FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt isn’t backing down from a growing national narrative surrounding Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide football program.
In a recent appearance on The Next Round, Klatt delivered what many Crimson Tide fans may view as an uncomfortable truth: Alabama hasn’t improved in the areas that matter most, particularly in competing at the highest level.
His biggest concern? The lack of a consistent run game.
“When you get into the playoffs, and you don’t have a run game… guess what you can’t do… fake it.”
That statement cuts straight to the heart of Alabama’s identity, or what used to be its identity.
Did Alabama improve from year one to year two under Kalen DeBoer? @joelklatt: “No… When you get into the playoffs and you don’t have a run game and you’re 120-whatever in yards per carry, guess what you can’t do against Indiana – fake it.”
While Alabama showed improvement in the win column from 2024 to 2025, the underlying numbers tell a more complicated story.
On the surface, that’s progress.
But the rushing attack, which was long considered a cornerstone of Alabama football, took a significant step backward:
That dramatic drop is exactly what Klatt is pointing to, and it’s hard to ignore.
Klatt’s concerns are grounded in reality, but it is also fair to point out that DeBoer has done more than enough to address the run-game issues that plagued the Tide in 2025.
He completely revamped the offensive line room with new coaches and more than 10 new players.
DeBoer knows his team must run the ball better in 2026, and he made improving that one of his biggest priorities this offseason. Only time will tell if that investment will pay off.
Joel Klatt didn’t say Alabama is failing.
He said something potentially more concerning:
The Crimson Tide may not be built to win it all, at least not yet.
And in Tuscaloosa, that’s the only standard that matters.
Stacey Blackwood Stacey Blackwood covers college football for Heavy.com with a primary focus on the Alabama Crimson Tide football. A veteran sports writer and podcaster, his work has appeared with the USA TODAY Sports Media Group through both Roll Tide Wire and Buffaloes Wire. In addition to his writing, Blackwood is the host of “Tide Talk Live” on the Bleav Network, where he has several years of experience providing in-depth coverage of Alabama football, including recruiting, roster analysis, game previews, and postgame breakdowns. More about Stacey Blackwood
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