It was inevitable that Nick Saban’s retirement from Alabama would lead to a domino effect that the college football world was not ready for. However, it may already be going further than most thought.
A week after the announcement of his retirement, programs across the nation are feeling the impact of the sudden news. The uncertainty of programs moving forward has led to players opting to transfer.
On the most recent episode of Robert Griffin III’s podcast RG3 and The Ones, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said that the sudden retirement of Saban has led to an influx of players from the affected schools calling Colorado as a potential transfer destination.
Coach Prime says players from Alabama, Washington, and Arizona have been calling to come to Colorado👀 #TieYoCleats #SkoBuffs @DeionSanders @RGIII
FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/lnhKoHy65c pic.twitter.com/LnrTBBhTng
— SAMTI🦬🐦⬛ (@LJSZN) January 18, 2024
In the interview, Coach Prime says “[Saban] is so powerful and so strong that he is affecting three programs… And guess what, all of those kids are calling us right now.”
Sanders refers to the programs Alabama, Washington, and Arizona. After Nick Saban retired, the Crimson Tide chose Washington coach Kalen DeBoer as Saban’s successor. That led to Arizona’s coach, Jedd Fisch, replacing DeBoer at Washington. This is what Deion was referring to, as it appears players from these schools are looking for new locations to play.
The transfer portal is in full effect and does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.