It’s the one guy that’s touched more people, at least in my generation, in college football. Even though I’ve never worked with him, never coached against him, Coach Saban’s influence and impact has touched all of college football. Coaching turnover is a part of college sports, in general, but it is difficult to forecast whether one college football coach's departure will spark this level of change. By comparison, Michigan began its classes Jan. 10, more than two weeks before the Los Angeles Chargers hired Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh in the same role Jan. 25, and Michigan promoted Sherrone Moore to replace Harbaugh a day later.
NCAA President Charlie Baker along with the commissioners of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference released a joint statement saying they had agreed to settlement terms. They called the move "an important step in the continuing reform of college sports that will provide benefits to student-athletes and provide clarity in college athletics across all divisions for years to come." "One of the things that we wanted to do with the program was that we always wanted the players to have a better chance to be more successful in life because they were involved in the program," Saban said. When Saban announced his retirement, numerous high-profile players hit the portal and pledged to continue their collegiate careers at other big-name schools. Defensive back Caleb Downs joined the Ohio State Buckeyes, wide receiver Isaiah Bond went to the Texas Longhorns and offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor transferred back to his home state of Iowa to join the Iowa Hawkeyes.
A dream following a nightmare 4-13 season that was not good for a whole lot of people around the Commanders. It certainly was not Allen's best, following Pro Bowl nods in 2021 and 2022. That should bode well for Dippre, who showed flashes of potential as a receiver with two receptions against Michigan, one against Georgia and receptions of 30, 26 and 45 yards in three other games. More than five players could fit that description, but for the purpose of this exercise, we'll keep it to five. The Alabama football roster has plenty of breakout candidates, considering all the change and new faces on the team.
The Tide coaching staff didn’t just suffer losses from the transfer portal, a handful of immediate starters for the program transferred in, as well as some young, talented players who could contribute in the next few seasons. Following the news that legendary head coach Nick Saban would be retiring as the leader of the Alabama Crimson Tide football program, several players decided it was time to move on from Tuscaloosa—one of the notable being offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor. Alabama Crimson Tide football is under new leadership, as Kalen DeBoer takes over as the program’s head coach following the retirement of legendary coach Nick Saban. One of the biggest concerns regarding DeBoer was his recruiting abilities. Those have since been alleviated to a certain degree after the impressive offseason he’s had on the recruiting trail and the transfer portal.
A difficult schedule that features challenging games at home and on the road could leave Alabama with either an impressive resumé or an ugly record after November. Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men's basketball. Reach him at or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter. He was a starter during the 2023 season after transferring from Maryland, but he wasn't used much in the passing game. Even with the elite receivers that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had at Washington to whom he could throw in 2023, livescore asianbookie Nowgoal former Washington tight end Jack Westover still managed to catch 46 passes for 433 yards and four touchdowns in DeBoer's offense. "He's been a guy that's been waiting for this opportunity," DeBoer said Tuesday.
Alabama double-dipped into the defensive backfield taking commitments from rising juniors Jamarrion Gordon and Dorian Barney. Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as the 2024 offseason progresses. With a new-look SEC and an expanded College Football Playoff field, Alabama fans are expecting DeBoer to run the table in the regular season, make the College Football Playoff and compete for a national championship.
In the regular season series against Tennessee, Alabama only scored one run total in all three games. Centerfielder Kristen White led off the game with a single down the left field line. Rylie West couldn't corral the ball, and White was able to reach third on the play.
The error proved extra costly when Tennessee's next batter, Laura Mealer, cranked a ball over the centerfield wall to give Tennessee the 3-2 lead. That score would hold as No. 3 Tennessee beat No. 14 Alabama, 3-2 in the Game 1 of super regionals on Friday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. DeBoer joins the Crimson Tide fresh off of a national title appearance in 2023, which followed an impressive conference championship run and a Sugar Bowl win over the newest members of the SEC, the Texas Longhorns.