TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The last Saturday in January was relatively quiet inside Alabama’s football facility.
The coaching staff was on the road recruiting, utilizing the last weekend before the dead period arrived on the calendar.
But next door at the performance center, there was a large gathering: a player-led practice that was fully attended.
Player-only workouts aren’t uncommon in the winter, but this served as a data point that the accountability and energy entering February were in the right place.
The whole team was there,” Alabama general manager Courtney Morgan said. “We were on the road (recruiting), but everybody was there. It’s trending in the right direction. Then our players, our senior leaders, communicating with the coaches on what they did, who was there. It’s a level of accountability that’s high.”
Developing player leadership is one of the next steps in the evolution of Alabama’s program under coach Kalen DeBoer. Last season’s core group was led by players who were integral in keeping the roster together after Nick Saban’s retirement. One of those players, Deontae Lawson, remains, but for the most part, a new group of leaders is set to emerge in 2025, including possibly senior wide receiver Germie Bernard.
“Going into this year, we’ve harped on being a player-led team more than a coach-led team,” Bernard said. “I think there’s been a lot more togetherness. I think that we revisited the standard and know what it’s going to take to withhold that standard.”
