Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer Discusses the Challenge of Preparing for FSU Football
The uncertainty surrounding Florida State’s team gives them a bit of an advantage as the season opener approaches.
With less than a week until the 2025 season kicks off, Florida State will host Alabama for the first time, offering head coach Mike Norvell the perfect chance to bring his program back into the national spotlight after a disappointing 2024 season.
While the Seminoles are coming off a rough year, Alabama enters 2025 as one of the nation’s top teams, ranking No. 8 in the preseason AP Poll after a 9-4 record in 2024, including a loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. For Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, a win in the season opener would provide a much-needed boost for the Tide, following their worst season in nearly 20 years.
How DeBoer is Approaching Florida State’s Evaluation 
Florida State’s roster and coaching staff have undergone significant changes, including new offensive and defensive coordinators, four new position coaches, and a number of staff additions. With such an overhaul, it’s clear that FSU will look very different, regardless of how they perform on August 30.
Earlier this week, DeBoer spoke about the challenges of evaluating FSU, pointing to the variety of film he’s reviewing to prepare.
“When you walk into my shoes, you see a lot of different film being shown for different reasons—personnel, scheme, what they were last year, and similar things on offense, like scheme and returning talent,” DeBoer explained.
Despite the difficulty in finding reliable footage of FSU’s current roster as a cohesive unit, DeBoer stressed that Alabama would still focus on playing their brand of football, no matter what FSU presents.
“There’s a lot of film, but we’ve got to make sure we don’t get too caught up in the unknown and just keep things simple,” DeBoer said. “We’ve seen enough variations in our offense and defense to be prepared for different looks.”
DeBoer also acknowledged the differences between Alabama and FSU, noting that Florida State’s style of play—whether on offense with their quarterback or on defense as a system—presents unique challenges. “We have to be ready for anything,” he added.
With the game just days away, the lack of solid film on Florida State could work in the Seminoles’ favor, as Alabama heads into the matchup without a clear sense of what to expect.
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