Aug 31, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer leaves the field after his first game as head coach at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama defeated Western Kentucky 63-0. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

At the conclusion of each season, there are coaches that participate in a panel in which they provide a ballot with their top 25 rankings. One of the coaches that was a part of the panel this year was Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer. His ballot along with 52 others were released to the public on Tuesday. 

DeBoer placed Alabama at No. 15 on his final ballot. This comes after DeBoer led the Crimson Tide to a 9-4 record in 2024. It was Alabama’s first 9-win season since 2007. Some would argue that DeBoer had a disappointing showing in his first year in Tuscaloosa. Nevertheless, Alabama was still viewed by many of the coaches as a top 15 caliber team. That is not a bad start for DeBoer and the Crimson Tide.

Several other notable coaches that had Alabama in the top 15 were Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko (No. 14), Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman (No. 12), Kansas head coach Lance Leipold (No. 13), and Kirby Smart (No. 12). 

Middle Tennessee State head coach Derek Mason ranked Alabama higher than any other coach. He had the Crimson Tide at No. 11 on his final ballot. 

Regardless of how others view Alabama, there is work that needs to be done. DeBoer and the rest of the Alabama coaching staff understand things must improve. It will be interesting to see where Alabama finishes at the conclusion of next season. 

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Brody Smoot is a team reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on X, via @brodysmoot.