Jumbo Package: Kalen DeBoer lands massive extension

The new agreement, which was approved by the University of Alabama System’s Compensation Committee during a virtual meeting Wednesday, extended DeBoer’s contract by two years. It expires on Jan. 31, 2033.

The new agreement includes a buyout of $10 million through Jan. 31, 2027. The buyout decreases by $2 million after each of the next two years. This is a favorable extension for DeBoer given the results on the field. He gets a raise of $2 million per year starting immediately, he still has a 90% guarantee built in, and most importantly there is still no offset clause. Jimmy Sexton remains the most powerful man in college sports. What Alabama paid for, first and foremost, is stability. At its core, this extension is a calculated bet on both risk and foresight. If DeBoer continues to produce double-digit wins, maintain elite recruiting, and turn CFB playoff appearances into championships, the deal will look prescient. But if Alabama settles into a pattern of being consistently good—yet rarely great—the financial safeguards will become more than fine print.

For now, the evidence supports the investment. DeBoer has elevated the program’s floor, restored its relevance in the SEC title race, and positioned the program as a credible playoff contender. Extensions in Tuscaloosa are not about rewarding the past, they are about securing the future. Given the trajectory, the market, and the stakes, Alabama’s decision reads less like a gamble and more like a necessary, calculated move to stay in college football’s elite tier. Michael Casagrande opines that the coaching salary market supports the players’ assertion that there is plenty of money to go around. Don’t show me one more Congressman or former football coach now in the Senate who wants to cap college athletes’ ability to earn NIL money when their coaches are out here swimming in the freest market in sports.

This is where I point out that Paul “Bear” Bryant’s salary in his final season of 1982 was just $1.54 million when adjusted for 2026-level inflation.

Don’t cry for one second as these coaches hit you with the NIL wild, wild west nonsense as they wait for that direct deposit to hit.

Especially not the ones who ride with Sexton, the quarter-zip bandit from Memphis wanted by every athletics director in the SEC.

Adding $2 million to DeBoer’s bank account only made life more challenging for a coach whose fanbase could be described as lukewarm at best. He’s not wrong. To whom much is given, much is required, and Kalen will be living that in year three. What are your thoughts on Alabama locking DeBoer up for the forseeable future? The NFL Draft kicks off tonight. Colin Gay has compiled a list of Alabama projections for you here. Kadyn Proctor is a consensus first rounder, while Ty Simpson is projected to go tonight only if the Arizona Cardinals trade up to get him at the end of the round to secure that fifth year of team control. We’ll see how it plays out. Tyler Booker will be hanging out with Ty in the green room. Booker told AL.com he will be in the green room in Pittsburgh with Simpson, one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 draft who hopes to hear his name called Thursday during the first round.

“When I came off the stage last year and saw Ty, I told him I was excited to be at the draft with him the next year and here we are!” Booker messaged AL.com this week. “I’m so excited for him and I’m glad to spend his special day with him as he did mine!”

Booker was a mainstay on Alabama’s offensive line for three seasons but just missed getting to play on the field with Simpson for an extended period of time. Simpson finally got his opportunity to be the starter during the 2025 season. The two arrived at Alabama together in the 2022 recruiting class. Last, AJ McCarron is featured in a new Ayell dot com documentary. Among other things, he spoke about the infamous sideline spanking. “I remember looking to the sideline, I’m like, ‘he’s going to be saying something because he just always has something to say,’’” McCarron said. “And he’s already just going off on me. … And I have no clue what he said. I couldn’t tell you. I wasn’t even listening as he was yelling at me, getting onto me. And then when the slap happened, it didn’t register with me. I mean, I grew up in the South. Getting a belt to the ass was nothing. So getting a hand is like, ‘OK, it is what it is.’ I didn’t take offense to it. It takes a lot more to hurt my feelings.”

McCarron said he and Saban later met to formulate a joint response regarding the incident, which had begun to draw press inquiries and to this day gets shared often on social media. McCarron said he also used that moment as an opportunity to make his case for his coach showing more faith in his decision-making ability. The entire 16-minute program is embedded below if that’s something that interests you. That’s about it for now. Have a great day. Roll Tide.