Transfer Portal 2023-2024...

[Cruloc]

Teams that fall apart and give up don’t go in and win the SEC championship beating the 2 time defending champion. They fall apart like you saw at Clemson or A&M. This team still was a play away from being national champions. Also stop comparing teams and players from years ago. Players all across the country have changed the game changed if Saban didn’t change at all you would have had a Clemson type fall.

No, I will continue to compare. There was a standard set....the on the field play did not meet those standards and the coaching staff also did not meet those standards. Saban had to play things a little softer with the last few groups of kids knowing they'd just up and transfer.

We had much better OC and DC this year, that's what got us to the playoff....that mixed with the abundance of talent and that defense.

We made the playoff in 2021 because of Bryce and our two NFL WR's. 2022, Bryce couldn't overcome everything.

We also had the sloppiest play I've ever seen under Saban, notably, the last 3 seasons. Penalties all over the field, setting records. Sacks exploded. 3 and outs exploded.

The standard wasn't being met and Saban knew it. The fact we had Saban and his recruiting is what kept us from losing 4 or 5 games in a season.

The team we had this year.......shut itself down for USF because their feelings were hurt....got up for LSU....did just enough vs a bad Auburn team....got up for UGA, who also had a poor defensive plan....and almost out talented an experienced Michigan team.

This new staff is a rejuvenation and we are purging kids that came to play just for Saban.

 

[Sensation77]

Yeah @B1GTide BoB bringing in Sayin so he can teach him to do his job for him (like he did for two years here with Bryce) while he slurps down Diet Coke in the press box and destroys the media buffet at halftime.

I feel attacked! I slurp down a lot of Diet Cokes during games, myself. Granted, mine are from the couch.

 

[DrJJoyner]

I'm not sure you can win a national championship anymore without an elite QB...and by elite I mean first round NFL talent.

Who was the last QB to win a national championship who wasn't at least a second rounder?

Stetson Bennett. He won back-to-back in 2021 and 2022. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round, 128th overall, in the 2023 NFL Draft.

 

[Coach D]

Have to be honest, I am surprised how many people thought players came because they cared about the university. Players for a long time care more about who they think coach wise will give them the best chance, about money, playing time and facilities. Not so much about the school and really some who care about the school had to have the other boxes checked to an extent. Relationships with players and coaches are not here now which is why guys are gone, money is less than others offering


Can’t really fault a kid for leaving when coaches can at any point as well. Calling these kids who leave quitters and taking it personally is a big double standard as the new staff would be quitters as well since they switched schools.

Do I hate the way everything is now, absolutely. College ball is nothing like it used to be when I grew up and coached. The system as many said is broken.

It’s too soon to be able to tell how this staff is but it doesn’t look positive yet. They haven’t even been able to bring in their best players. I do agree as far as a pure on field coaching product it is the best staff in years. The other parts time will tell. Hard to be positive just because the way everything is now on top of losing guys we had fun watching. But watching a guy develop at your school is mostly done. Even pros have far more stability now. Even less tv commercials lol this will prob push even more to lose interest in college sports. Especially even in told if I want a good team I have to pay a kid. Hell no that’s absurd it’s not a business that pays off for me even as alumni.

Just makes me appreciate Saban and everything he did for the university even more. Especially since he did it there right way for the right reasons.

 

[bamadwain]

I'm not sure you can win a national championship anymore without an elite QB...and by elite I mean first round NFL talent.

Who was the last QB to win a national championship who wasn't at least a second rounder?

Just like the NFL, college football is a QB dominated sport anymore.

Ugh JJ McCarthy lol

 

[JohnD]

What's next...cheerleaders in the portal?

We phased out cheerleaders a long time ago. It's all gymnasts now!

 

[Power Eye]

But everyone looks at results as a sign of decline instead of the institutional strength. For instance… most people would say the Patriots dynasty died in 2020 when Brady left, but the dynasty probably actually started to die in 2017 when the front office started to shift priorities to account for an aging quarterback and a bad skill player room. The Patriots went from being a thrifty organization focused on building players from within and getting players at a discount to an organization making aggressive moves and hitting the cap ceiling. yeah they won the SB in 18 but they are still feeling the shockwaves from buying that team in 2017.

Bama has sacrificed great coaching for great recruiting, and we have paid for it.

I agree that we have been on a decline since 2020, but it is about results at the end of the day, and the results weren't terrible. A year from now, I think we can be in a much better place in terms of the program's coaching ability and stability than we were two weeks ago, but whether or not we can replicate the level of success we've had over the last three years will be challenging.

I'm not saying Saban should have stayed, or that he would have righted the ship, because I don't believe that. And I'm definitely not saying we made a bid hire, because I think DeBoer will be fantastic if given the chance. I'm just saying the last three years could have been much worse, and probably would have been with someone else as the HC.

 

[Cruloc]

This will be my last post for a while...

College football has been destroyed by greed, both from within and without. The last week has shown me there's no such thing as player loyalty. Words like "The Bama Standard" and "The Process" are a lie. You have ex-players like Marlon Humphrey saying he would have been in the portal too. He is a BAMA LEGACY for crying out loud. NIL was the worst thing that has ever happened to college football, and you can't take it back. Actually, the casual fans who know nothing about the game who are absolutely EATING IT UP might be worse than NIL. I'm out.

The Marlon Humphrey comment was the one that bothered me the most.

You aren't wrong, most of us here are feeling the same things you are.

 

[CB4]

I feel attacked! I slurp down a lot of Diet Cokes during games, myself. Granted, mine are from the couch.

So I guess you’re calling plays over Alexa at the 60 inch but somehow they aren’t get through, right?

 

[Toddrn]

I'm not sure you can win a national championship anymore without an elite QB...and by elite I mean first round NFL talent.

Who was the last QB to win a national championship who wasn't at least a second rounder?

Just like the NFL, college football is a QB dominated sport anymore.

Stetson Bennett. 4TH round draft pick.

 

[RTR2u]

The Marlon Humphrey comment was the one that bothered me the most.

You aren't wrong, most of us here are feeling the same things you are.

Marlon's post is very disappointing. They don't care about Alabama football or so it seems. Alabama football is more than Coach Saban. He just turned it around when it was needed, and we are forever grateful. I've had crimson and A jackets since I was a kid. I'm still going to wear them and I've only been on campus twice in my life.

 

[AlexanderFan]

Have to be honest, I am surprised how many people thought players came because they cared about the university. Players for a long time care more about who they think coach wise will give them the best chance, about money, playing time and facilities. Not so much about the school and really some who care about the school had to have the other boxes checked to an extent. Relationships with players and coaches are not here now which is why guys are gone, money is less than others offering


Can’t really fault a kid for leaving when coaches can at any point as well. Calling these kids who leave quitters and taking it personally is a big double standard as the new staff would be quitters as well since they switched schools.

Do I hate the way everything is now, absolutely. College ball is nothing like it used to be when I grew up and coached. The system as many said is broken.

It’s too soon to be able to tell how this staff is but it doesn’t look positive yet. They haven’t even been able to bring in their best players. I do agree as far as a pure on field coaching product it is the best staff in years. The other parts time will tell. Hard to be positive just because the way everything is now on top of losing guys we had fun watching. But watching a guy develop at your school is mostly done. Even pros have far more stability now. Even less tv commercials lol this will prob push even more to lose interest in college sports. Especially even in told if I want a good team I have to pay a kid. Hell no that’s absurd it’s not a business that pays off for me even as alumni.

Just makes me appreciate Saban and everything he did for the university even more. Especially since he did it there right way for the right reasons.

Honestly, I think most of us realized they came for the coach, but the University is what would keep them here. the University is not cold, hard cash though.

 

[CrimsonTitles]

Just a few more days, and Harbaugh will be gone from Michigan, and hopefully we can take some of those guys. I'd love to get that Graham kid. I guess the Rooney Rule is whaf's holding up Harbaugh. They can't conduct in person interviews until the 22nd, so Harbaugh should be gone by early next week. There will be good news soon.

 

[DrJJoyner]

You have ex-players like Marlon Humphrey saying he would have been in the portal too. He is a BAMA LEGACY for crying out loud.

and

The Marlon Humphrey comment was the one that bothered me the most.

I read him as reflecting on how he would have reacted as an 18- or 19-year-old kid with the distractions they have today, not so much how he feels now. But the guys who go on to play in the pros, especially for a long time, see the game as a cold-hearted business, so maybe not.

I realized at least 20 years ago that the players simply don't care about the teams, or even winning and losing, as much as the fans do. For them, it's a means to an end.

 

[DrJJoyner]

I guess the Rooney Rule is whaf's holding up Harbaugh. They can't conduct in person interviews until the 22nd, so Harbaugh should be gone by early next week

I don't think that's right. Most of the teams with openings have already interviewed the usual suspects (David Shaw, etc.) and satisfied the Rooney Rule, which is a farce. I know San Diego has.

 

[CB4]

The Marlon Humphrey comment was the one that bothered me the most.

You aren't wrong, most of us here are feeling the same things you are.

I think Humphrey meant it as a compliment to CNS as in “he would be the only guy I would want to play for”. But it was a stupid, stupid comment.
It just goes to show clarity is essential. He should have said something along the lines of “In my time, Coach Saban would have been the only guy I would have wanted to play for. That is how much respect I have for him. But Alabama, it’s history, it’s traditions, and the program are bigger than one coach.”

 

[CrimsonTitles]

I don't think that's right. Most of the teams with openings have already interviewed the usual suspects (David Shaw, etc.) and satisfied the Rooney Rule, which is a farce. I know San Diego has.

Well that was the case yesterday. Something must have changed bc they just satisfied their requirements last night. So we're still on track for next week. That 22nd date must have been wrong, but that's what I was reading

 

[B1GTide]

I'm not sure you can win a national championship anymore without an elite QB...and by elite I mean first round NFL talent.

Who was the last QB to win a national championship who wasn't at least a second rounder?

Just like the NFL, college football is a QB dominated sport anymore.

Alabama has several guys on your roster who are fully capable of achieving this.

 

[Snuffy Smith]

I can't imagine that anyone in the football building expected the kind of attrition we're seeing in the wake of Saban's retirement.

I'm sure they expected there to be losses, but this is almost like we're hemorrhaging players.

I sure hope DeBoer and his staff can stop the bleeding.

Not really unprecedented. Oklahoma lost around 12 current players and 7 current year commits after Riley left. We now have 8 and 2 2024 commits (counting Sayin & Grimsley as commits vs current players). And before you get out the flamethrowers - yes I realize it's likely not over….

 

[BearFan]

I said before he was hired he couldn't recruit, had no ties to the southeast and this was an issue.

You tell me, why does he not even offer Sayin? Huge QB prospect out of California, DeBoer is an offensive guy with the highest paid OC in Grubb, and they don't even offer Sayin? What is that about? Do you know?

Then, he goes and adds Mack which is now being spun as a well Sayin already said he was leaving move. All I see is Sayin wasn't offered by DeBoer and then DeBoer brings in another QB. That's what I know for a fact.

Then how do you know that DeBoer didn’t recruit or offer him. Not trying to be ride

I said before he was hired he couldn't recruit, had no ties to the southeast and this was an issue.

You tell me, why does he not even offer Sayin? Huge QB prospect out of California, DeBoer is an offensive guy with the highest paid OC in Grubb, and they don't even offer Sayin? What is that about? Do you know?

Then, he goes and adds Mack which is now being spun as a well Sayin already said he was leaving move. All I see is Sayin wasn't offered by DeBoer and then DeBoer brings in another QB. That's what I know for a fact.

Then how do you know DeBoer didn’t recruit or offer Sayin? Not trying to be disrespectful, just curious.