Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer offers early comment on season-opener against Florida State
Florida State’s season-opener against the Alabama Crimson Tide is one of the most highly-anticipated games of the early college football slate. The Seminoles are coming off a 2-10 campaign and desperate for a quick turnaround under head coach Mike Norvell, who is entering the second year of a massive contract extension that he received in large part because of Alabama’s prospective interest.
The Crimson Tide ultimately tabbed Washington’s Kalen DeBoer as Nick Saban’s successor. DebBoer went 9-4 in 2024 and will have to replace his starting quarterback in year two after Jalen Milroe declared for the upcoming NFL Draft.
While supporting some of his former players at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, DeBoer offered a brief comment on the matchup in Tallahassee and Alabama’s non-conference schedule. He believes the Crimson Tide’s road game at Florida State and home contest against Wisconsin will prepare the program for SEC play.
“It depends on how many conference games you are playing and we’re at eight right now, and so this next year with Florida State as the opener and then a couple of weeks later with Wisconsin, it’s a good, competitive schedule,” DeBoer according to BamaOnline. “That’s what we want leading into conference play. So that’s the way we want it. We want be challenged and be tested going into SEC action.”
This will be the first time that Florida State and Alabama have faced off on the football field since 2017. The Seminoles are going to be breaking in a variety of new faces such as quarterback Thomas Castellanos, wide receiver Squirrel White, center Luke Petiton, defensive end James Williams, and linebacker Stefon Thompson.
The Seminoles and Crimson Tide will kick off on Saturday, August 30. It’ll be the first contest in a renovated Doak Campbell Stadium.
