Julian Sayin, Caleb Downs among players to transfer from Alabama in wake of Nick Saban’s retirement

Alabama is used to natural attrition, even in large numbers, with players running out of eligibility or declaring early for the NFL Draft. With the retirement of Nick Saban, though, the Crimson Tide enter a new era without some key players who opted for the transfer portal. 

New Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer, who highlighted the importance of player retention at his introductory press conference, is inheriting a roster that’s been decimated by the portal in the two weeks since Saban retired. In all, 10 players have hit the portal, half of which started at least one game in 2023 — an almost unheard of exodus for a program of Alabama’s stature. 

To make matters worse, six of those transfers have already committed to other SEC programs, including one that took his talents to Auburn and two former offensive starters that made the jump to Texas, a program that beat Alabama in 2023 and is set to join the conference in 2024. To give DeBoer credit, he has brought in a few transfers — all from his former school, Washington — to staunch the bleeding a little bit. 

Alabama is going to have a lot of important production to replace, though. Here’s a breakdown of each player who has entered the portal since Saban decided to step away from the game. 

WR Isaiah Bond

Entered: Jan. 12 | New school: Texas 

Bond didn’t take long to make a decision on his future, officially entering the transfer portal two days after Saban retired. Two days after that, he committed to Texas. Bond is a significant loss for Alabama’s offense. He’s a big reason why the Crimson Tide made the College Football Playoff, saving their season with his touchdown catch on fourth-and-31 against Auburn to give Alabama a last-second win. Bond ended up leading Alabama with 48…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/julian-sayin-caleb-downs-among-players-to-transfer-from-alabama-in-wake-of-nick-sabans-retirement/

Author : Will Backus

Publish date : 2024-01-24 16:21:12

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