That suggestion, along with many other possibilities, remain under discussion. The upcoming 2024 Alabama Crimson Tide football season is full of unknowns. A new head coach, a new-look SEC and a new College Football Playoff format. How will all of this affect the team as they look to carry on the winning tradition it had for nearly two decades under the new-retired head coach Nick Saban?
As Tucker mentioned, there were some early-season struggles, but that’s expected when a true freshman is starting on the offensive line in the SEC. After all, he did finish the season on a strong note and was a key contributor to the line. Proctor Asianbookie Livescore will return to his role, which is to sure up the offensive line and protect Jalen Milroe, the Tide’s incumbent starting quarterback. "We were in position to offer the job on Friday because we felt that Pete was the number one," Alnutt said. "There was a consensus that he was the number one, to get the deal done on Saturday.
If it stands, it will usher in the beginning of a new era in college sports where athletes are compensated more like professionals and schools can compete for talent using direct payments. That means there are several unknown or relatively unproven commodities. And a new coaching staff can mean new uses for players who might not have seen as big of a role in a different system.
Niumatalolo’s first priority was retaining as many players as possible from the 2023 roster. San Jose State was at a perceived disadvantage because classes began Jan. 24, three days after Niumatalolo was hired, and the school’s period to add or drop classes to change a student’s academic schedule without a penalty didn’t end until Feb. 19. Konya, San Jose State’s athletic director, estimated that the Spartans spoke with at least 30 initial candidates at the start of a five-day search-and-hire period, including Niumatalolo, whom San Jose State contacted Jan. 17. Two days later, after gauging interest and narrowing the search to two candidates, Konya began face-to-face interviews at a hotel near Los Angeles International Airport. Then, DeBoer began to assemble a coaching staff and initially brought three coaches with him from Washington and retained only Freddie Roach and Robert Gillespie from Saban’s staff. Marlie Giles started the sixth inning off for Alabama with a leadoff single followed by a Bailey Dowling double, which Giles was called out at third base.
Alabama had the chance to respond and tie the game after Tennessee's three-run fifth inning. Bailey Dowling followed it up with a ball crushed off the left field wall, but it bounced so hard that Giles was thrown out at third for the first out of the inning. Lauren Esman followed it up with another single up the middle to put runners on the corners with one out for Alabama's eight and nine-hole hitters.
Lauren Esman entered as a pinch hitter, hitting a single to center field to move Dowling to third, but a Riley Valentine strikeout and an Emma Broadfoot foul out ended the Crimson Tide threat. Despite being up against a Tennessee pitching staff that has the lowest ERA in the country (1.40) and one that did not give up a run across its three games played in the Knoxville Regional, Alabama jumped out to an early lead in Knoxville on Friday. Alabama Crimson Tide football enters a new era as legendary head coach Nick Saban enters retirement and former Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer takes over in Tuscaloosa. Though he was a top coach in 2023, there are questions about how he will perform under the pressure of immediately succeeding Saban. A major positive for the Crimson Tide came last weekend when the staff received commitments from two Class of 2026 prospects.
The Tide coaching staff didn’t just suffer losses from the transfer portal, a handful of immediate starters for the program transferred in, as well as some young, talented players who could contribute in the next few seasons. Following the news that legendary head coach Nick Saban would be retiring as the leader of the Alabama Crimson Tide football program, several players decided it was time to move on from Tuscaloosa—one of the notable being offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor. Alabama Crimson Tide football is under new leadership, as Kalen DeBoer takes over as the program’s head coach following the retirement of legendary coach Nick Saban. One of the biggest concerns regarding DeBoer was his recruiting abilities. Those have since been alleviated to a certain degree after the impressive offseason he’s had on the recruiting trail and the transfer portal.
As Tucker mentioned, there were some early-season struggles, but that’s expected when a true freshman is starting on the offensive line in the SEC. After all, he did finish the season on a strong note and was a key contributor to the line. Proctor will return to his role, which is to sure up the offensive line and protect Jalen Milroe, the Tide’s incumbent starting quarterback. "We were in position to offer the job on Friday because we felt that Pete was the number one," Alnutt said. "There was a consensus that he was the number one, to get the deal done on Saturday.