Jumbo Package: Kalen DeBoer stands behind Ryan Grubb, Lane Kiffin whines on SEC teleconference

Happy Thursday, everyone. Kalen DeBoer and Lane Kiffin participated in the SEC coaches’ teleconference yesterday. Kalen DeBoer was asked about Ryan Grubb, and very much stands behind his man.

DeBoer believes in Grubb.

After Tennessee, DeBoer called Grubb “a great play-caller,” saying the offensive struggles come down to “execution.” And heading into LSU, during the idle week, DeBoer is not backing down.

When asked if he would ever take over as Alabama’s primary play-caller, DeBoer emphatically declined.

“Why?” DeBoer asked “Look at what’s happening across college football with the guys that actually do it.

“There’s details that, as a head coach, with everything that surrounds being a head coach, that you miss,” DeBoer continued. “When you have people who are in it as coordinators and don’t have the head coach responsibilities, they’re in there with their staff hours on hours on hours, picking up on those things and ready for the big moments that could happen. Again, you got to go out and execute those things in those moments.”

That’s who Grubb is, DeBoer says, someone who is “relentless” at improvement, and there’s evidence DeBoer can point to.

Needless to say, there is a disconnect between DeBoer’s opinion vs. many fans and social media personalities.

DeBoer also spoke about Noah Rogers’ notable absence from the stat sheet despite being healthy.

“Noah’s done a really good job coming along in the practices,” DeBoer said. “I think a lot of it is just the other guys that are also, or have taken steps forward throughout the course of the season. Rico (Scott) showed up in a big way this last weekend, and he’s been pretty consistent both as a receiver and as a blocker. I think also just personnel grouping and things like that with what we’ve done with more tight ends. There’s less reps for the wide receivers. We really think highly of Noah. He’s a really good football player and we want to find ways to incorporate him into the offense on a higher level with more opportunities, but that always means that you’re taking someone else off the field as well.”

Derek Meadows ran ahead of Rogers in Knoxville. It is somewhat surprising that Noah hasn’t been more productive. He never reached his ceiling at prior stops Ohio State and NC State, but did manage to put up 900 yards over two seasons in Raleigh.

DeBoer was also complimentary of LSU and Lane Kiffin, as expected.

DeBoer on his initial impressions of LSU…

“Just explosive offensively. Got a front that really gets after the passer. But does a nice job all around. And so, when they get rolling as a football team, it’s been really impressive what they can do to their opponents. And so, this last week, you could just see them have a presence from the very get-go and execute at a high level. A lot of really good football players, and obviously, they do a really good job as a coaching staff, putting their guys in positions to have success.”

DeBoer on his thoughts on LSU coach Lane Kiffin…

“I think he’s a very good coach. He’s won a lot. And I mean, extremely experienced and done it at different places. And so, I think it’s more than just an offensive mind, probably, that a lot of people look at and think of when they think of Coach Kiffin. It’s how to put a team together, and he’s done a great job again here, bringing these guys together throughout this season and continuing to keep them growing and moving forward.”

It’s common for coaches to praise the opponent before a big matchup, and Kiffin followed suit.

He didn’t say the words “rat poison” Wednesday during the SEC coaches teleconference, but Kiffin sounded to be dishing out plenty of it when talking about his next opponent, the Crimson Tide.

“Getting ready for the most talented team we’ve played,” Kiffin said. “When you really look at it and you combine offense and defense, these guys really are loaded. Look like the old Alabama teams. Really long, fast, receivers, really special, unique defensive players. It’s going to be a really unique challenge for us to do really well and play really well.”

Michael Casagrande isn’t buying it from Lane, though, particularly the comparison to the “old Alabama teams.”

While it’s true LSU’s 3-2 conference record was assembled against five defenses ranking in the bottom half of the SEC, Alabama’s has holes and an injury problem.

Kiffin knows that.

And that’s why he’s spending time gassing up Alabama more than a week before his Super Bowl.

A showman’s showman.

But the sideshow is also part of why Alabama took a safer route when replacing Saban.

So, he can troll away.

The digs fell hollow, though, for a coach winless against the program that wouldn’t take his call when the GOAT went to pasture.

Kiffin did sound like a man-baby talking about the kickoff time.

“I was like, well, if someone thinks the SEC wants us to win this year after what’s been going on, they must have just been on Mars the last four months,” Kiffin said in his Wednesday press conference. “So I guess when I look at it that way, I’m not surprised.

“Especially in 16 years, this game has been at night here all the time. I never even considered that it wouldn’t be at night. So I guess that’s probably naive of me.”

Poor, maligned Lane.

Chase Goodbread wrote about Alabama’s penalty issues, which need to be cleaned up. Alabama ranks 93rd in penalties this season.

QB Keelon Russell leads the team with 11 penalties on the season, six of them for delay of game. Blame for delay flags can lay at the feet of others at times, particularly if the play call is late arriving, but as the most identifiable culprit, the flag is Russell’s to bear. He’s also been penalized three times for intentional grounding, and twice for illegal forward passes (releasing beyond the line of scrimmage).

The team-high for penalty yardage, however, belongs to CB Dijon Lee: 66 yards on only five flags (three defensive pass interference calls, two personal fouls). Lee has been the subject of scrutiny for his play this season, much of which has come from 15-yard penalties in costly moments. The former five-star recruit did not start against Tennessee, giving way to backup Carmelo O’Neal, but returned to the starting lineup against Texas A&M with fellow starting CB Zabien Brown unavailable with an injury.

Last, in case you missed it, our 2026-27 basketball preview dropped yesterday. As luck would have it, Emilee Smarr wrote about Drew Fielder, who may be Alabama’s most important addition.

Fielder believes that the frontcourt’s ability to exploit different matchups takes away from the pressure to rely on one particular style of play. That could prove especially valuable when the Crimson Tide’s SEC slate begins in January − and it already proved to be a deciding factor in close exhibition wins over Ole Miss and Auburn.

Before he had faced his first ever SEC opponent, Fielder said Oct. 13 he expected a “gauntlet.” Two days later, he tallied 11 points and 10 rebounds against Ole Miss.

Whether the Crimson Tide needs his shooting, passing or presence inside, Fielder believes the pieces are in place to address whatever challenges the regular season presents, already proving to be one himself before Alabama’s first regular season game on Tuesday, Nov. 3 against Sam Houston.

“We have someone for every type of situation,” Fielder said.

“Versatility” is the word that keeps coming up for this roster. This should be an exciting team.

That’s about it for now. Have a great day.

Roll Tide.