Alabama football added a walk-on tight end in his final season of collegiate eligibility, one who expected to make an impact upon arrival.

The Alabama football standard was clear in the Nick Saban era. A year after Saban retired, how does it look under Kalen DeBoer?

Although DeBoer’s season wasn’t the worst first year for a Crimson Tide coach, it snapped a streak of 10-win seasons. Alabama had won at least 10 games for 16 straight seasons. The last time the Crimson Tide didn’t win 10 games was in 2007, Saban’s first year.

Washington improved. It won 14 games in 2023, beating Texas again in the College Football Playoff in the Sugar Bowl before losing to Michigan in the CFP national championship game. Days later, DeBoer was named as Nick Saban's successor with Alabama football.

Would Alabama coaching legend Nick Saban ever consider a return to college football, leaving behind his new career as a fan-favorite analyst?