Nick Saban open to playing HBCU schools in the future

Alabama head coach Nick Saban was asked at SEC media day about the growth of the popularity HBCU’s in college football, and if he would be open to the possibility of playing Alabama State or Alabama A&M.

“I certainly can see, we’ve tried to be very supportive. Miss Terry (Saban) is on the board of trustees at Spelman College,” Saban said. “I’ve always been an advocate of playing in state schools because I think it sort of helps them raise their level and their ability to compete, which obviously if you do that you also contribute to how successful the players in those organizations compete, so I would be very much in favor of that.”

Saban also commented on how playing HBCU schools is a two way street in regards to how players can benefit from the experience

“I do think it’s going to work both ways, I think some of the really good players in that league are going to have to opportunities to go other places, but I also think that there will be some players that come back to that league that will also be able to enhance their value as players because of the opportunity that will be created for them by playing at that level, so all good things,” Saban said.

Alabama’s non conference schedule this season consists of Utah State, Texas, ULM, and Austin Peay, but maybe in the near future we’ll see and HBCU school in the mix.

Greg McElroy breaks down Alabama’s roster ahead of 2022 season

Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy sounded off on his expectations for the Crimson Tide going into the 2022 season. After interviewing head coach Nick Saban on his latest episode of Always College Football with Greg McElroy, McElroy broke down why he believes Alabama’s roster will start the season near the top of the preseason AP top 25 poll. 

On the offensive side of the ball, Alabama brings back their proven quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, Bryce Young. And while they lost offensive talent like receivers Jameson Williams and John Metchie III, offensive lineman Evan Neal, and running back Brian Robinson Jr. to the NFL, McElroy is still confident the Crimson Tide offensive attack can be even more potent this upcoming season.

“They bring back the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback,” said McElroy. “We know Bryce Young, but the supporting cast that’s been both been developed within the program and those pieces that have been added via the transfer portal you gotta think that this offense is gonna be as good as they were last year, at the very least, if not significantly better.”

Alabama has a strong track record of developing young offensive talent, and it will be interesting to see how they integrate new weapons acquired through the transfer portal like 5-star running back Jahmyr Gibbs and receivers Jermaine Burton and Tyrell Harrell into this year’s offensive attack. 

The Alabama defense is led by Heisman hopeful linebacker Will Anderson, who McElroy called “a completely unstoppable force” coming off of the edge and debatably the best player in college football. If this unit can rally around Anderson’s leadership and start the season off faster than last, they will surely be a force in the SEC. 

“This was a group, really the first five, six, seven weeks of the season last year, they just weren’t very consistent,” said McElroy. ” They weren’t great against the run, they didn’t do a great job tackling. Then you fast forward to the end of the year, statistically speaking they really improved and started to get to the point where they were playing really solid at all three levels.”