Overview

• On ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith said Alabama was “considerably softer” in 2024 under Kalen DeBoer and suggested the school should consider hiring Deion Sanders if this season mirrors last year.
• Alabama went 9-4 in DeBoer’s debut and missed the 12-team College Football Playoff, with reporting noting upset losses to Vanderbilt and South Carolina.
• Smith argued Sanders has proven he can revive programs after Colorado’s nine-win 2024 season and said he could excel with Alabama’s resources.
• He also claimed Sanders wanted the Florida State job and said he was “on the phone with him when it was all going down,” a detail aired during the segment.
• Fans and commentators criticized the idea as misguided, with some noting DeBoer faced a tougher schedule than Colorado in 2024 and pointing out that Sanders enters 2025 without stars such as Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders.