Nick Saban heaps praise on Alabama transfer, current Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders

Having players transfer at the rate that they do today is a massive shift for the game. Another shift, often overlooked, is having players transfer within a conference or even a division. One of those players who transferred within a division is Drew Sanders, who left Nick Saban and Alabama for Arkansas.

Nick Saban, far from being bitter about the move, heaped praise on Drew Sanders.

“He’s a fine young man,” Nick Saban said. “Really good football player, play extremely well for us last year. Had an unfortunate injury that, you know, held him back and he would have probably been a starter here this year and I’m sure he’s probably going to do really well, you know, where he is there at Arkansas.”

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“He’s a great competitor, a good person. So, I can’t say enough good things about him,” Nick Saban concluded.

Drew Sanders is a native of Denton, Texas. Coming out of high school, he was a consensus five-star recruit in the Class of 2020. Now, with a division rival in Arkansas, Sanders has been praised by teammates and coaches alike.

Nick Saban on changes in college sports

Changes in the transfer rule aren’t the only thing that coaches like Nick Saban have to deal with. Between on-field rules, NIL, and schematic changes, the sport is undeniably changing. These are things that Saban has addressed in the past.

“You have to be flexible,” Nick Saban said. “I think that’s one of the most important things about competitive sports. You know, the game has changed. The 3-point shot changed basketball. So you either change with it or you fall behind.”

“The no-huddle changed football, RPOs [run-pass-option plays] changed football. If you don’t sort of study the game and know the impact of these things and use them to your advantage, you’re going to just completely get bypassed by a lot of folks.”