Georgia handed Kalen DeBoer his first big L at Alabama: How did he respond?

Kalen DeBoer had a shot at retaining a holdover from Nick Saban's Alabama staff, but Travaris Robinson is staying at Georgia now. Robinson is replacing Will Muschamp on Kirby Smart's defense as a co-defensive coordinator alongside Glenn Schumann. Muschamp is stepping down to a defensive analyst role to spend more time with his family, as his other son is playing at Vanderbilt.

While DeBoer wisely brought Ryan Grubb with him from Washington to remain his offensive coordinator, we do have to remember that is the side of the ball DeBoer favors. Offense is all the rage in college football these days, but you cannot win without defense, especially in a league like the SEC. Retaining Robinson would have been clutch in terms of recruitment, but it was just not meant to be.

Robinson joins a Georgia defensive staff that prominently features Schumann, defensive line coach Tray Scott, newcomer Donte Williams from USC, as well as Smart. Georgia will clean up in recruitment, which will hurt Alabama considerably early in DeBoer's tenure has head coach. The outsider must first establish recruiting roots in a part of the country he is not synonymous with. A tough row to hoe.

Although he may have been tempted to return, Robinson opted to stay at Georgia Monday afternoon.

As far as DeBoer's counter was concerned, he pried a familiar face away from South Alabama.

Getting Kane Wommack to leave South Alabama for the Crimson Tide is huge, as was getting Maurice Linguist to leave his Buffalo head-coaching post to come to Tuscaloosa. Will it make any difference?

Georgia handed Alabama its first tough blow in the Kalen DeBoer era

I suspect in time that things will work out for DeBoer at Alabama. He is not going to be Saban, or achieve anywhere near that level of success because nobody is going to, not even Smart back at his alma mater of Georgia. Hiring two Group of Five head coaches in Wommack and Linguist to lead his defensive staff could be huge for Alabama, but you have to remember that it is all about the players.

Scheme has served DeBoer, but it will only take him so far at a place like Alabama, in a conference like the SEC. The reason why the SEC has had a stranglehold on the sport of college football for almost two decades is that the southeast just has better players. Elite athletes playing fast and free in simple defenses and play designs is a tough combination to beat. It is all about how fast can your team play.

While I do like DeBoer picking up Wommack, and to some degree Linguist, elite recruiters like Robinson and Charles Kelly are at two rival programs of yours. Robinson joined Smart's staff in Athens, while Kelly went back to his alma mater of Auburn to work for Hugh Freeze. If Wommack can get an in with high school coaches in recruitment, then DeBoer has a chance to succeed ... eventually.

Players are going to come and leave in the transfer portal, but DeBoer must establish new roots fast.