The start of any coaching tenure is hectic and Kalen DeBoer’s is no exception at Alabama. Since his announcement as Nick Saban’s successor, he’s had to pull together a new staff and try to keep key pieces of his roster.

During a Wednesday appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, DeBoer said things have calmed down on that front. He praised the players who have opted to remain with the Crimson Tide through the transition from Nick Saban.

“The core of our team is right here,” DeBoer said. “They have a chip on their shoulder. They want to win that national championship. They had it right there in their grasp. These guys have already turned the page and moving on, and excited about what our new staff is going to do, building on what Coach Saban has done for many years here at Alabama.”

Since Saban retired, 10 Alabama players entered the transfer portal. UA’s roster received a 30-day window for portal entry, triggered by the head coach change.

DeBoer emphasized the importance of keeping Alabama’s team together as much as possible during the early days of his tenure.

“I think the biggest recruiting and the best recruiting we’ve done is still our current roster,” DeBoer said. “There’s not really portal guys because the portal window has closed, other than those that have coaching changes. We’ve had to recruit our own roster, and I think we’ve done a great job of that.”

During his time at Washington and Fresno State, DeBoer was known for his explosive offensive attack. Led last season by Michael Penix at quarterback, UW was one of the highest-powered units in the nation, finishing No. 2 in the nation in passing offense.

During his Wednesday McAfee appearance, he was asked whether that kind of offense will continue to work in the SEC. DeBoer said he thought it could, and emphasized that the offense will still need to start up front with a stellar offensive line, pointing out the success that running back Dillion Johnson had for the Huskies.

“With the personnel we have here, there’s some amazing running backs in this program,” DeBoer said. “I’ve seen firsthand who these guys are. The offensive line is always a huge piece of the success and where it all starts. What we’ve done, we always tweak it here and there to fit your personnel. (offensive coordinator) Ryan Grubb and our offensive staff, they’ll do exactly that.”