Michael Penix Jr. was asked if Alabama will win a national championship in Kalen DeBoer’s first three years, the former Washington quarterback didn’t hesitate.

“I believe so,” Penix told me Monday during his appearance on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 in Mobile.

Penix and the next generation of NFL stars are in Mobile all week for the Reese’s Senior Bowl, which will be played Saturday after a week of practices and evaluations by NFL teams.

The quarterback, who admitted he doesn’t like talking about himself, was more than happy to explain why Crimson Tide fans should be excited about the man who is replacing Nick Saban as the head football coach in Tuscaloosa.

“He’s an amazing coach,” Penix said. “He’s gonna push the guys extremely hard. He’s gonna make sure every player is 100 percent prepared game day, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

“Man, they gonna light it up.”

Penix led the Huskies to a 14-1 record and the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2023, passing for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting behind LSU’s Jayden Daniels.

“The offense he installs is amazing,” he continued. “A lot of pushing the ball down the field. Obviously, being smart with it. Timing of the play is perfect.”

The prediction of DeBoer win a title in three years is not that far-fetched. In Year 2 at Washington, DeBoer had the Huskies playing for a national title. At Sioux Falls from 2005 to 2009, DeBoer had a record of 67–3 and won three NAIA national championships in 2006, 2008, and 2009 and a runner-up appearance in 2007.

That’s not all Tide fans should be excited about, Penix explained.

Earlier this month, freshman quarterback Austin Mack committed to Alabama from Washington. He reclassified from the recruiting class of 2024 to join the Huskies last season. He did not play in 2023, preserving his redshirt, and will have four seasons of eligibility with the Crimson Tide.

“He wanted to be able to spend a year in the offense, seeing me and how I operated in the offense,” Penix said of Mack reclassifying. “I did my best to show him as much of the offense as I could and continue to encourage him and keep his confidence up. His confidence is out of the roof.

“He going to be an amazing player at Alabama. That’s definitely going to be a house-hold name in Alabama pretty soon. Man, he has so much talent at a young age. I saw it as soon as he came in.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.