"He's the main difference in this football team": Paul Finebaum reveals Kalen DeBoer's key factor behind Alabama's resurgence

It has been a rewarding ride for Kalen DeBoer and his Alabama team after a poor start to the season with a humiliating loss to FSU in Week 1. Fans and experts were inquiring about DeBoer's buyout and the future of the team after Nick Saban's exit.

Now all the apprehensions appear to have settled with Bama reinstating their hopes on DeBoer to lead the program. The defense was formidable from the beginning but the defensive woes troubled the team. In the last couple of weeks, Alabama has been dominating against its opponents big time.

According to college football insider Paul Finebaum, all the credit goes to Ryan Grubb, who has been phenomenal in terms of developing the roster.

Grubb, who joined DeBoer this season after a brief stint at Washington, undertook a major overhaul this offseason. Starting from building the roster to developing a culture, Grubb appears to have caught the attention of football experts.

“Eight weeks ago, there was talk about, ‘What are we going to do with Kalen DeBoer’s buyout?’ Right now, he has done one of the most phenomenal turnaround jobs I have ever seen in college football,” Finebaum said on Wednesday's episode of Get Up.

NCAA Football: Tennessee at Alabama - Source: Imagn

“It’s really about Ty Simpson. The defense is still playing at a high level, but he has so many weapons, and he has just brought a calmness and a coolness to this team.

"And the main reason I think they are winning more this year than last is Ryan Grubb. He originally signed with DeBoer last year, then decided to go to Seattle. He’s back now, and he is the difference in this football team.,” He added.

Kalen DeBoer gets real about Alabama's mindset entering Week 9

So far into the season, Alabama stands atop the SEC leaderboard with a 1-6 record. Head coach Kalen DeBoer claims he does not allow players to get this success into their heads and they are not paying attention to the bye week after the upcoming game against South Carolina.

“We aren’t done with the stretch. We’re still in the stretch. We’re not thinking ahead to next week, where there’s a bye week. We are thinking that we’re in the middle of our season, we’re in the middle of our fight,” DeBoer said to the reporters earlier this week.

If Alabama manages to sustain the momentum, they should be able to make the postseason and earn a playoff spot.

Not to mention, the national championship title appears to be in their grasp unless DeBoer & Co. stumble in the later stages of the 2025 season.

Edited by Deepesh Nair