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Two years ago, after Alabama football learned it would face Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl, a harsh reality of the college game that had never before beset one of former coach Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide teams was knocking on the locker room door.
Opt-outs — players foregoing participation in a bowl game to begin preparation for the NFL draft — had never been at issue at Alabama because the Crimson Tide was such a regular participant in the College Football Playoff, the lure of a national championship was more than enough to hold the roster together. And thanks to quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson, it wasn’t an issue for the Sugar Bowl, either.
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Both had just been named captains of the 2022 team, chose not to opt-out despite being considered high first-round draft picks, and successfully implored their draft-eligible teammates to stick around. Alabama, in turn, routed Kansas State 45-20 with a full complement of talent. Two years later, with the Crimson Tide’s hopes of reaching the 2024 CFP looking slim, the opt-out bug seems primed to return to Tuscaloosa.
And this time, it could bring a nasty bite.
Alabama isn’t likely to have as strong of a draft class as what was typical under Saban, but it nevertheless has plenty of draft-worthy players. They include team captains Jalen Milroe, Tyler Booker, Deontae Lawson and Malachi Moore, as well as wide receiver Germie Bernard, whose play has turned the heads of NFL scouts this season. Standout linebacker Jihaad Campbell, in whom scouts see vast pro potential, will be draft-eligible as well.
Those decisions would be about six weeks away if…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/absent-cfp-berth-bowl-opt-090323451.html
Author : The Tuscaloosa News
Publish date : 2024-10-25 09:03:23
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