Kalen DeBoer's staff in Tuscaloosa has a new name on it, and it's one DeBoer already knows well.
Will Nixon, who played running back for DeBoer at Washington before finishing his playing career at Syracuse, has joined Alabama as an offensive analyst, sources tell FootballScoop. Sources share Nixon has been with the staff since around the start of training camp.
Nixon's playing road covered a lot of ground. He started at Nebraska as a receiver before the staff moved him to running back, then took the portal route that so many others find themselves doing. DeBoer recruited him to Washington, where Nixon spent two seasons and appeared in 26 games. In 2023 he played in all 15 for a Husky team that reached the national title game, carrying 54 times for 290 yards and three scores while adding 20 catches for 150 yards.
When DeBoer left for Alabama and Jedd Fisch took over in Seattle, Nixon went looking for a better fit and found one close to family. He committed to Syracuse in May of 2024, where his father, Jeff Nixon, runs the offense as coordinator and running backs coach. The elder Nixon has NFL coaching time with the Panthers and Giants on his resume, so Will grew up around not only football, but also the coaching profession.
His 2025 season at Syracuse was his most productive. Nixon, a 5-11, 205-pound back out of Waco, Texas, entered the year on the Comeback Player of the Year watch list, then played in every game with six starts. He posted career highs across the board: 107 carries for 432 yards and three touchdowns, plus 26 receptions for 187 yards. His best afternoon came in the regular-season finale against Boston College, when he ran for a career-high 73 yards.
Now he moves from the backfield to the back of the room.
Analyst jobs have become one of the more dependable on-ramps for young coaches trying to break in, and few offensive staffs run deeper than the one DeBoer has assembled at Alabama. Nixon already knows the offensive verbiage from his Washington days. He also grew up watching his dad teach the position at the NFL and college levels.
Nixon has spent the better part of a decade carrying the ball. Now he gets to learn how to teach it while following in his father's footsteps.
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