McElroy Defends DeBoer's Position at Alabama Amid Rumors

Greg McElroy said on ESPN's Get Up that Kalen DeBoer is not at risk of losing his Alabama job, citing his contract leverage and a $67 million buyout. McElroy acknowledged pressure to win but argued the program is aligned behind DeBoer. Alabama enters the season with a 20-8 record under DeBoer over two years.

DeBoer's contract leverage stems from Michigan's reported pursuit of him after last season, which he declined before receiving an extension from Alabama. The $67 million buyout figure cited by McElroy would rank among the largest in college football history, second only to Jimbo Fisher's settlement at Texas A&M.

Alabama's 20-8 record under DeBoer marks the program's roughest two-year stretch since the pre-Saban era. Between Bryant's retirement in 1982 and Saban's arrival in 2007, the Tide endured five losing seasons and cycled through seven coaches, a history that contextualizes current concerns about the program's trajectory.