Alabama football’s 2024 season came to a disappointing end on Tuesday, when it lost the ReliaQuest Bowl 19-13 against Michigan. The Crimson Tide ended Kalen DeBoer’s first season as head coach 9-4, the first time it didn’t win at least 10 games since 2007, Nick Saban’s first year in charge.

By some standards, the record was perfectly fine. However, at Alabama, it wasn’t what fans wanted to see.

As Alabama begins to prepare for 2025, here’s how we graded the 2024 season.

Offense: C-

Alabama’s offense played incredibly at times this season. Highlights included the first half of the Georgia game, and the entirety of the Crimson Tide’s blowout win at LSU.

Unfortunately, it spent too much time sputtering. All season, Alabama was inconsistent, and it cost the Crimson Tide dearly in its four losses.

With Jalen Milroe off to the NFL, this is the side of the ball with the most questions after the 2024 season.

Defense: B

The Vanderbilt game was a blip, where the Crimson Tide looked to have the exact wrong plan for stopping Diego Pavia. However, the group overall did a solid job throughout the season.

It was a total change from Nick Saban’s scheme to Kane Wommack’s “Swarm D,” but the change wasn’t altogether bad. Even in the bowl loss, the UA defense did all it could to give the Crimson Tide a chance.

Key players who will need to be replaced for next season include Malachi Moore, Jihaad Campbell and perhaps others, but the defense has plenty of potential for 2025.

Coaching: C-

For most programs, nine wins in a coach’s first season would be cause for celebration. Alabama isn’t like that.

Perhaps with college football in the state that its in, expecting more was unrealistic. However, the Crimson Tide looked unprepared against opponents it should have bested easily, and the defeats to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma were especially hard to swallow.

DeBoer and company frustrated fans throughout the season, though much of that was due to him not being Nick Saban. The baseline of competency seemed to be there, but Alabama was too inconsistent for a high mark.

Overall: C-

Again, nine wins isn’t impressive to Alabama fans. Even with the high points, like the Georgia win and LSU blowout, the 2024 team won’t be remembered among the Crimson Tide legends.

Instead, falling to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma, before going out with a dismal showing against Michigan will be the group’s lasting legacy. Alabama’s dynasty looks to be truly dead, and if DeBoer is to make his own place in Tide history, he’ll have to build another from the ashes, beginning in 2025.