Sometimes the best way to fix a weakness is to hire the person who exposed it. Kalen DeBoer is taking that philosophy to heart with his latest staff addition, a strategic poach from an SEC rival who knows exactly where Alabama is most vulnerable.

According to CBS Sports, DeBoer’s Alabama is now hiring Oklahoma’s Trent Simpson for the assistant defensive line coach position. With this, Simpson will be coaching in Tuscaloosa after four seasons as a defensive analyst for the Sooners.

Now, Trent joins a unit led by defensive coordinator Kane Wommack and will work under Freddie Roach, who has been their defensive line coach since the Nick Saban era. He is tasked with molding a squad that brings together proven talent, new players, and the next wave of playmakers. Meanwhile, it’s a full-circle moment for Trent, who is a native of Oxford, Alabama. On the other hand, it’s a big win for DeBoer, as Trent was the one who exposed Alabama’s major vulnerability. 

November 15 is a date that Alabama fans will not forget for a long time, not for the good memories, of course. DeBoer’s Crimson Tide lost 21-23 to Brent Venables’ Sooners. But the way they did it left a bitter aftertaste.

Alabama dominated the stat sheet with 406 total yards, nearly double Oklahoma’s, and controlled possession by 10 minutes. But in the end, none of it mattered. DeBoer’s Alabama had a hard time with ball-security issues that derailed their offense and opened the door for Oklahoma.

The meltdown started early. In the first quarter, DeBoer’s quarterback Simpson threw a costly pick-six, and Ryan Williams followed it up with a fumble on a punt return. The mistakes didn’t stop there. Ty came up with another fumble late in the third quarter. 

That miscue set Oklahoma up for three more points early in the fourth, flipping the game in their favor. Maybe DeBoer’s Alabama was not ready for this version of the Sooners, who walked in with a -5 turnover margin and walked out rewriting the script. The Sooners forced three mistakes from Alabama and played a clean game themselves, using that edge to power a stunning upset.

Since the off-season, Kalen DeBoer has been revamping his coaching staff, and Trent Simpson is the latest addition. In February, they added Adrian Klemm, poaching the senior defensive assistant from USC. A few days later, the Crimson Tide added former Louisville offensive line coach Richard Owens as the tight ends coach.

Kalen DeBoer’s confidence in the Crimson Tide defense runs high

DeBoer’s high hopes for the defensive line might be confusing since the Crimson Tide has lost most of its production from last season. The off-season left Qua Russaw and James Smith-sized voids to fill. But they got lucky, as Alabama’s linebacker, Yhonzae Pierre, has pushed his NFL dreams to run yet another season with DeBoer. 

“But we’re in a better spot in my mind on that side of the ball in particular, just with who we have coming back, the experience, especially in the secondary with everyone except for Domani Jackson being back,” DeBoer said in an interview with Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic. 

Pierre already showed his upside with eight sacks after stepping in midseason against Georgia. Now, he has the chance to evolve from a situational playmaker into a cornerstone defender. At the same time, Desmond Umeozulu and Devan Thompkins arrive from South Carolina and USC with plenty of upside, even if their potential was stunted last season. 

Meanwhile, Trent is stepping into Alabama with some instant synergy. He has got a familiar ally in Christian Robinson, Alabama’s outside linebackers coach, with whom he’s already built chemistry during their Florida run.