Nick Saban’s retirement engenders a stark new reality for Tuscaloosa in the form of Alabama’s transfer exodus.
A multitude of Alabama players have visited the transfer portal in the days after the retirement of Nick Saban last week.
Caleb Downs and Kadyn Proctor, both five-star freshmen, were the most recent Crimson Tide athletes to access the transfer portal on Wednesday.
Proctor began at left tackle, while Downs appeared immediately at safety and led the squad in tackles in 2023. Inevitably, there would be some attrition following Saban’s unannounced retirement.
DeBoer utilized those two players as building blocks during his first two seasons in charge. Conversely, they might depart for home games in their respective states (Proctor for Iowa, Downs for Georgia) and thereby void enormous voids within the Alabama roster.
The seven-time national champion coach withheld information regarding his potential retirement until January 10, when word began to circulate that he would be leaving the Crimson Tide after 17 seasons.
As coach, Saban consistently assembled top-five recruiting classes and attracted a deluge of five-star players to Tuscaloosa following his replacement of Mike Shula.
As coach, he consistently assembled top-five recruiting classes and attracted a deluge of five-star players to Tuscaloosa following his replacement of Mike Shula.
Saban secured, per Rivals, the No. 3 recruiting camp in the nation before his retirement, with Alabama signing 18 four-star recruits and one five-star recruit for the Class of 2024.
As of yet, DeBoer has not achieved such recruiting success. Fresno State is not exactly a marketing hotbed, and he was head coach at Washington for only two seasons before accepting the position at Alabama.
But DeBoer’s squads prevail nearly every time. In his first two years at Seattle, the Huskies went 25-3, and his teams amassed an overall record of 104-12, including a 67-3 record during NAIA Sioux Falls from 2005 to 2009.
A coach who has achieved consistent success may find it easier to develop into an effective recruiter, while a strong recruiter may find it more difficult to translate their successful recruiting efforts into victories.
On Thursday afternoon, Mack verified the news of his transfer from D.C. to Alabama via social media.
DeBoer has recorded his first portal pickup since last week when he transferred from Washington to Alabama to replace Nick Saban.
In contrast, the Crimson Tide have experienced a significant number of players departing through the portal after Saban declared retirement.
However, DeBoer will be required to engage in extensive recruiting efforts well in advance of his Alabama debut.
Mack, a four-star prospect from Folsom, California, opted to forego his senior year of high school and reclassify as a redshirt freshman for Washington last season after deferring from the class of 2024. In 2023, he did not observe any game action.
After serving his allotment in college, Heisman Trophy winner Michael Penix Jr. is now eligible to enter the NFL Draft, leaving Mack anticipated to vie for the starting position in Washington.
Instead, Mack will join Alabama’s crowded quarterback room, which is expected to include 2023 starting quarterback Jalen Milroe and sophomore backup Ty Simpson, a four-star recruit.
Furthermore, the Alabama Tide has secured a commitment from Julian Sayin, a talented prospect who is ranked fourth overall in his age group by Rivals.
Sayin has refrained from publicly expressing his stance regarding his potential decision to remain or depart following Saban’s retirement.
Downs is reportedly poised to make an entry into the transfer portal after coach Nick Saban’s retirement last week, as stated in various reports.
As a freshman in 2023, Downs was one of Alabama’s top defenders, and heading into the 2024 season, he was regarded as a pillar of the Crimson Tide defense.
With 107 tackles, 40 more than every other player on the team, Downs also accumulated 3.5 tackles for loss. Furthermore, Downs also recovered a fumble that was forced upon him, in addition to four passes defended and two interceptions.
Downs was the preeminent player in the state of Georgia and one of the top five-star recruits in the class of 2023. Furthermore, he earned the top spot among safety rankings nationally.
UGA Sports of Rivals has already identified Georgia as a potential candidate to acquire Downs.