Hello and Roll Tide!

Alabama’s season came to an end as they lost 38-3 in the Rose Bowl on January 1st. The Tide were simply no match for Curt Cignetti’s #1 Indiana Hoosiers. While a blowout loss leaves fans stunned, year 2 of the DeBoer era saw significant improvements in the right direction. Alabama finished the regular season in 1st place in the SEC, appeared in the SEC Championship, and won a CFP game. The defeat does show how far Alabama is from being a National Title Contender, but a top-8 finish should be considered a success. Now Alabama must shift their focus to the transfer portal. As of right now, 21 Alabama players have entered the transfer portal (20 scholarship; 1 walk-on) and the Tide have brought in 9 players. Courtney Morgan and DeBoer will have to decide who Alabama wants to retain and who can be replaced with an upgrade in the portal. Below is a quick summary of the Rose Bowl, Season Storylines revisited, and 2025 Awards. Let’s go!

CFP Second Round: Rose Bowl Game – Indiana Hoosiers

We all watched this game, so there’s no need to sugar coat it: Alabama was completely dominated by the Hoosiers. Indiana looked like a vintage Saban squad. They did not make any mistakes and played sound, fundamental football. Alabama had life until Ty Simpson lost a fumble with 3:09 left in the 2nd quarter. It was only 10-0 at the time and Ty had just picked up the first down across the 50-yard line. If Alabama scored on that possession, the game could have gone differently. Instead, Ty Simpson broke his ribs on top of losing the football. He played through the injury until midway through the 3rd. Austin Mack came into the game down 24-0 and brought some life to the Tide, leading a field goal drive. Without any offensive support, the defense had to play spectacularly to give Alabama a shot, but they were unable to. The defense missed multiple gap assignments allowing 215 yards on the ground. Mistakes snowballed until Alabama found themselves in a hole they could not dig out of. This performance clearly demonstrated how far away Alabama was from being a National Title contender. That being said, this year’s Alabama squad was much improved from a season ago. Kalen DeBoer’s team made significant progress and will look to grow on it entering 2026.

At the beginning of the season, I discussed 5 storylines that could define 2025. They are below with reactions after the season:

1) Getting back to the playoffs – Alabama was able to get back to the playoffs in 2025, proving that DeBoer is on the right path for success at Alabama. It was a difficult task, starting the season with a loss at FSU. But the Tide showed resilience, winning 10 of their next 11 games and finishing the regular season 1st place in the SEC.

2) Grubb’s High-Flying Offense – Ryan Grubb was supposed to join Alabama in 2024, but instead he stayed in Seattle as the Seahawks Offensive coordinator. After one season, Grubb and Seattle parted ways, opening the door for a reunion with DeBoer at Alabama. This move drew a lot of attention in the offseason as many expected an improvement from Nick Sheridan in 2024. On the contrary, Alabama’s scoring offense decreased in 2025 (29.5 ppg) compared to 2024 (33.5 ppg). As well, their total yards decreased from 2025 (410.2 ypg) compared to 2024 (367.7 ypg). The most glaring change came in the rushing attack. In 2024, Alabama averaged 173.8 rushing ypg. Under Ryan Grubb in 2025, Alabama averaged only 104.1 rushing ypg, ranked 125th nationally. Jalen Milroe accounted for a significant portion of the 2024 rushing yards, however Grubb’s rushing attack was abysmal. Year 1 with Grubb calling the plays was underwhelming.

3) Defense Wins Championships – Kane Wommack had Alabama’s defense operating at full potential to finish the 2024 season. They finished the season allowing 17.4 points per game, 10th best in the nation. They were also 21st in yards allowed per game (320.1). Alabama saw similar success in 2025: Allowed 19.2 ppg (20th Nationally) and 296.8 ypg (13th Nationally). The improvement in yards per game allowed is a key indicator that this defense was better in 2025. The decrease in points per game allowed was due to Offensive turnovers and poor Special Teams. Often Alabama’s defense found themselves in disadvantageous positions. Kane Wommack had the defense performing up to Alabama’s championship expectations.

4) Win the line of scrimmage – Once again, Alabama’s Offensive line fell way below expectations. Last season, the Tide struggled protecting Milroe in the pocket and was inconsistent running the football. In 2025, the line was somehow worse in both categories. Alabama allowed 24 sacks over 13 games in 2024 (1.85 spg) as opposed to 33 sacks over 15 games in 2025 (2.2 spg). As mentioned above, Alabama rushed for 69.7 less yards per game in 2025 than 2024. The offensive line declined with the addition of Ryan Grubb and must be addressed in the offseason. The defensive line improved from 2024 to 2025. Sacks went up 8 (25 in 2024; 33 in 2025) and tackles for loss increased by 15 (71 in 2024; 89 in 2025). Kane’s group did win the line of scrimmage more often than not.

5) Is Ty the guy? – Ty Simpson started the season out strong, gaining a lot of national attention. There was a stretch this season where he was the Heisman favorite and even in discussion as the #1 pick in the 2026 draft. He did drop off significantly at the end of the year, however much of that can be attributed to the offensive line and injuries. Without a running game, Ty carried all of the weight on his shoulders to be great every game. This was a significant burden in which I say he succeeded. Ty threw for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns, a significant improvement from Jalen Milroe. Ty did his job good enough to put Alabama in positions to win games. If he had more support in the run game, this Tide team may have been a Championship Contender. Ty’s success led him to declare for the NFL draft.

2025 Crimson Tide Football Awards:

MVP: Ty Simpson – In the modern age of NIL and Transfer portal, it is rare to see a 5-star wait their turn. Ty developed behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe then took advantage of his opportunity to start this season. Early in the season, Ty was the leading candidate to win the Heisman. The inability to run the football forced Ty to have to do it all on his own. This took a toll on him both physically and mentally, but every game Ty fought like a lion. His leadership trickled down and was a huge part in this team’s success.

Offensive Player of the Year: Germie Bernard – Germie had a breakout year for the Tide, showing up in many big moments. He was Ty’s go-to man and Grubb used him as a Swiss army knife. Germie caught 64 passes for 862 yards with 7 touchdowns. He also carried the ball 18 times for 101 yards with 2 touchdowns. Going into the season all eyes were on sophomore superstar Ryan Williams, but Germie emerged as the most reliable weapon on Alabama’s offense. His route running was excellent and had great instincts when Ty had to scramble for more time. DeBoer made sure to bring him over from Washington in 2024 and he has been the most impactful transfer for Alabama in years.

Offensive Breakout Player of the Year: Josh Cuevas – Josh took over the starting tight end position in 2025 after providing depth in 2024. This group had the most question marks going into 2025 and Josh came out of it as the most reliable receiver in the group. Josh was often a safety net for Ty, finding open space for check-downs. He was also a vertical threat, seemingly fitting into zone windows downfield. Josh finished the year with 37 catches, 411 yards, and 4 touchdowns.

Freshman Offensive Player of the Year: Lotzier Brooks – Lottie Brooks was rated a 3-star prospect out of Millville High School in New Jersey. He broke the State record for receptions, yards, and receiving touchdowns, yet he was under-recruited. Alabama took a chance on him and he delivered. His involvement started slow, but Brooks found himself as WR3 by the end of the season. Brook’s breakout play came against Missouri when Alabama converted a 4th & 8 late in the game. Ty found him along the sideline for a 29-yard completion. Brooks ended the year with 32 receptions, 441 yards, and 2 touchdowns. He has a bright future ahead of him wearing Crimson.

Defensive Player of the Year: Bray Hubbard – Bray was heavily involved in 2024 after Keon Sabb’s injury and was expected to be the starter entering 2025. Bray took a huge step, bolstering the Alabama secondary. He led the team in interceptions, forced fumbles, and pass deflections. Bray was also effective at the line of scrimmage, recording 2 sacks and 4.5 tackles for a loss. Bray announced that he will return for his senior season, a huge get-back for the Tide.

Defensive Breakout Player of the Year: Yhonzae Pierre – Yhonzae was expected to be a depth piece in 2025, but an injury to Qua Russaw shot him up the depth chart. Quickly Yhonzae was terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. Pierre took over the job in week 6, yet still led the team in sacks (8) and tackles for a loss (14.5). Pierre is exactly what the Tide lacked in 2024. An effective pass-rush made this Alabama defense one of the best in the country.

Freshman Defensive Player of the Year: Dijon Lee – Dijon was a major recruit in the 2025 class and was able to make an impact immediately. By week 7 Dijon took over the starting cornerback position from returning Senior Domani Jackson. At 6-5, Dijon is a very physical defensive back. He was third on the team with 5 pass deflections and recorded 4.5 tackles for a loss. Dijon showed great hands, recording 2 interceptions.

Special Teams Player of the Year: Cole Adams – Cole was a consistent punt returner. His fair catches were never in doubt.

The offseason is in full swing. Players will no longer be able to enter the portal after January 16th, so I will send an update once it closes. Thank you all for a great season! I enjoy sending out my updates and appreciate your weekly feedback.

Roll Tide! -Jake