Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, or so the saying goes.

For Kalen DeBoer, insanity was taking the Alabama Crimson Tide job to replace the GOAT college football coach Nick Saban. Saban won six national championships for Bama (plus one for the LSU Tigers), and a major reason for that was his unbelievably consistent recruiting, probably the biggest hole in DeBoer’s resume.

ESPN’s Eli Lederman does a breakdown of first-year coaches at major programs, and he has high marks for DeBoer after initially losing all but one of Saban’s recruits. As Lederman unbelievably points out, Saban had top-five classes for every year except one from 2012-24.

Since March, the former Washington Huskies head coach has gotten commitments including:

Athlete Derick Smith – No. 30 in the ESPN 300

Lineback Darrell Johnson – No. 34

Quarterback Keelon Russell – No. 81

Athlete Zymear Smith – No. 114

Linebacker Abduall Sanders Jr. – No. 153

Cornerback Chuck McDonald III – No. 166

Defensive tackle Antonio Coleman – No. 177

Overall, DeBoer has gotten 11 commitments from the ESPN 300 2025 class, and there are several factors that make it even more promising. The class hails across seven states, including the all important California pipeline, with two coming from powerhouse Mater Dei, Sanders Jr. and McDonald III. The Tide are still in the mix for several five-star recruits, which could vault the class into the top five.

RELATED: Jalen Hurts’ humble quote implies Crimson Tide life lessons

DeBoer never had better than the 28th-rated recruiting class at Washington. Add to that him solidifying the Saban malcontents, like Kadyn Proctor coming back into the Alabama fold after the “worst decision” of his life. DeBoer is methodically, excuse the pun, turning the Tide.

If this keeps up, Alabama fans won’t be insane to start believing that the Tide will continue to be perennial national championship contenders.