After a rough start to the 2025 NCAA season, Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide now have everything they hoped for right in front of them. With the SEC Championship ahead on the schedule, the Script A may be affected by the recent news that JaMarcus Shephard will be stepping away from the program. In the 2026 campaign, the assistant coach will become the head coach for the Oregon State Beavers.
It wasn’t always pretty, but the Crimson Tide pushed through. Finishing the regular season with a 10-2 (7-1 conference) record, Alabama finished in first place in the SEC, punching its ticket to the Championship Game.
However, with wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator JaMarcus Shephard set to leave the coaching staff ahead of the 2026 college football season, many are skeptical about how that could impact the Tide. On that note, DeBoer voiced a straightforward comment.
“Yeah, [Shephard] really wants to be a part of everything that we do throughout,” DeBoer said about the co-offensive coordinator ahead of the SEC Championship Game, via On3. “There’s a couple things here right now early in the week that he’s got to part as far as obligations with kind of getting things started there with his opportunity at Oregon State, which we’re super excited for. He’s a guy that pours everything into this program.”
JaMarcus Shephard giving out orders during a game
When will Shephard leave for Oregon State?
While a big opportunity awaits for Shephard in Corvallis, the current co-offensive coordinator will remain in Tuscaloosa a while longer. According to The Crimson White, Shephard will stay with the team through the SEC Championship on Saturday.
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Whether the wide receivers coach will stay for the ride in the College Football Playoffs or not, that remains to be seen. However, all signs indicate Saturday’s showdown at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be Shephard’s farewell from DeBoer and the University of Alabama, as he is bound for Oregon State’s head coaching job.
How many times has Alabama made SEC Title Game?
When the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide meet in Atlanta, Georgia, two of the three teams with most conference championship appearances will go head to head. The Crimson Tide has been to the decisive conference game 15 times before — this year’s will be the school’s 16th appearance — boasting an 11-4 record.
As for Georgia, the Dawgs will be making their 13th appearance in the SEC Championship. In college football history, the school in Athens has won five conference titles while falling short in the decisive game on seven occasions.
Georgia walks away with the 2024 SEC Championship
SEC Championship rematch
Georgia and Alabama have also squared off in the Championship Game four times (2012, 2018, 2021, and 2023), with the Crimson Tide prevailing each time. This time around, the Dawgs will hope to earn their first win over the Script A in the title showdown.
In many ways, it’s an opportunity to start fresh, as Kirby Smart has never faced DeBoer in an SEC title matchup. It will also serve as a tiebreaker, with DeBoer and Smart owning one win apiece against each other in the NCAA. This time, it’s for all the marbles.
