Alabama is winding down its second spring practice under head coach Kalen DeBoer, and expectations and pressure this season are as high as they have ever been.

Though it was not a complete disaster of a first season under DeBoer, the three losses for the Tide were the most in a decade and a half with losses to Vanderbilt and a dreadful Oklahoma team seen by fans rightfully so as completely unacceptable.

It’s a hit of the reset button for the program as a whole in this second year with much of last season’s leadership moving and notably, a quarterback battle which is starting to really brew.

However, not all of the team’s leaders from last year’s team are gone, and one of the main ones was also one of the team’s best players before he suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the year.

Mobile native Deontae Lawson told ESPN’s Chris Low – who has been at spring practice – openly that he was planning on leaving the program in favor of the NFL Draft before suffering the injury, but that it changed his perspective and gave him more urgency to finish off his career in Tuscaloosa the right way.

“I’ve tasted everything but a national championship. I wasn’t done here,” Lawson said as relayed by Low.

A returning captain for the second year in a row and his redshirt senior season, Lawson has been one of the best linebackers in the SEC since he started seeing major playing time two years ago during Nick Saban’s final season.

As someone who has seen both the style of Saban and DeBoer and been a critical piece in the system of each, Lawson has the chance to not only excel himself this season but help the younger players who Alabama will need to step up.

In his final season with the Tide, the goal to him is clear and nothing less than a national championship is going to be acceptable.