Nick Saban was one of the best coaches of all time, and he routinely had Alabama working with a dominant defense. So many of his former pupils on that side of the ball went on to be very good NFL players. He is no longer with the Crimson Tide, but his defensive DNA might still linger within the program.
Even as Kalen DeBoer makes his mark on Alabama, the defensive identity remains. In fact, PFF claims that the Tide have the best defense in college football heading into the 2025 season, which is incredibly high praise.
Max Chadwick argued, "Even though Nick Saban is no longer in charge, the Crimson Tide still have an elite defense. Alabama ranked second in PFF’s defensive line and secondary rankings. The Crimson Tide also placed eighth in PFF's linebacker unit rankings."
He also noted that Alabama is also the only school in college football that has a top-10 rated player at every single defensive position, so there is really no weak spot in this unit. The SEC is a gauntlet now more than ever with so many top schools transitioning in, and there are quite a few really good offenses. Alabama will have its work cut out for it on the defensive side of the ball, but they're evidently more than up to the task.