Everything Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said at 2026 Regions Tradition Pro-Am

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer spoke to reporters before teeing off at the Regions Tradition Pro-Am at Greystone Golf & Country Club on Wednesday morning.

Below is a full transcript of everything that DeBoer said.

DeBoer on how he feels about his golf game…

“Not good, not good. It’ll be interesting.”

DeBoer on what keeps him coming back to this event…

“It’s just fun seeing everyone here. So many fans and a great event all around. It’s always a fun day, so I’m excited to be back.”

DeBoer on his takeaways from post-spring meetings with players…

“Yeah, just wrapping up. Got a couple of meetings left, but got through pretty much the whole team. And some of them are already done with their finals and are off and rolling. But a couple of weeks here and then they’ll be back. But I think the guys really feel good about the momentum, and especially the ones that are here, they really appreciate, I think, the guys who have come in and the gaps they’ve helped fill on our team and our roster, and how I think as a coaching staff, we did a pretty good job of trying to bring the right pieces, not just what they can do on the field, but who they are as people and their character.”

DeBoer on his new contract at Alabama…

“I’m blessed to have a university, and I can’t thank Greg Byrne and our trustees and president enough. I love being here at Alabama and looking forward to many more great years.”

DeBoer on if conversations with recruits are easier given the stability of a new contract…

“I mean, I had still quite a few years, and I think the success on the contract – I still feel like with our success this last year, really all the conversations with prospects the last five months have been very positive. And so, yeah, it doesn’t hurt, right? It helps, everything helps. And so, these guys coming in, they certainly know they’re gonna have myself and along with me comes most of our staff that hopefully can be here that whole time and great opportunities will come up for them. But that continuity is important, not just to our success, but also the development of these guys that are here to try to figure out which program they’re gonna go to.”

DeBoer on his success in recruiting 5-star quarterbacks…

“I think just what we’ve done and our success with the quarterback position — the receivers have been kind of like that over the years, too. And so, the guys know they’ve got to come in and compete. You just mentioned that there’s a lot of depth to the room, and times change very quickly, so we’ve got to be prepared for that as a staff. But I really like the makeup of the players that are here. You can see how they compete and give everything they have, but guys like Keelon and Austin, and even last year with Ty, just the way that they interact, it’s a credit to them and their character and also our coaching staff on how they can mesh that room each and every year. So, new guys coming in, I know they’re excited, and we’re excited for them.”

DeBoer on Ty Simpson being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams…

“I thought it was a great spot for him. He just was making that decision back in January, and I think this is one of the scenarios that was probably the top scenario that he was kind of hoping for and a part of what helped him kind of decide that he was going to move on. So, I think it’s worked out really well for him.”

DeBoer on his message to Austin Mack, Keelon Russell on the next phase of the offseason…

“They know that a year ago there was so much improvement by all of them, and I think that was – even with Ty, going from the spring to the fall, he came back and made another big jump. And that’s what I would expect out of these guys, is as good as they did and a nice job that they had performing this spring, I’d expect for them to take another big leap here in the summer. They’re going to work hard, you’re never going to question that. They’re early-morning guys, in there early. They’re real pros, much like the other guys that have been here in this program that have done the same thing.”

DeBoer on his comfort level in advocating for legislation during spring meetings…

“Yeah. I mean, and I think you’re just trying to weigh it and trying to do what’s best for the game and these guys that are coming into their college career. And so, you just try to really weigh it. Sometimes, there’s unintended consequences that we can go back to over the years, but everyone’s just trying to do what’s best to help our great game continue to grow.”

DeBoer on EJ Crowell’s health heading into the summer…

“I think by the time we get to June, he will be in a good spot. That’s everything I’m hearing and feeling. And that’s going to be really critical for him to get the summer in, not just from a workout standpoint, but they run the player-run practices. Just any reps for him are going to be good, quality ways for him to continue to improve in his development, especially early in his career.”

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