Football is near, and the new era of Alabama football is about to begin.

If it hasn’t sunk in yet that Nick Saban will no longer be roaming the sidelines at Bryant-Denny Stadium as the coach of the Crimson Tide, it will hit hardest on Saturday. Alabama faces Western Kentucky in the season opener, the first game for new coach Kalen DeBoer.

The former Washington coach hasn’t yet won or lost a game in Tuscaloosa, but for all intents and purposes, DeBoer aced many tests he has already faced in the offseason. He has said the right things while replacing a legendary coach. He hired good coaches such as defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. DeBoer set aside the notion he and his staff wouldn’t be able to recruit the South. Look no further than five-star receiver Ryan Williams.

All of that is great, but DeBoer will ultimately be judged by what he accomplishes on the field. That starts this week.

To set the scene for the first game of the new era, AL.com constructed a video essay, produced by Clay Yeager. You can watch it at the YouTube link above to get you ready for the first game of the Alabama football schedule.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.