Nick Saban makes joke about transfer portal departures, effect on Alabama roster

Every major Division I school is dealing with a depleted roster as bowl season gets underway thanks to the transfer portal. Alabama is no different, and head coach Nick Saban made light of the headache the portal can cause as the season comes to a close.

“I think you guys know who’s on the team,” Saban told reporters after Alabama’s first bowl practice. “We don’t have any secret admirers that snuck in in the middle of the night.”

That would be nice, though. The Tide are going to be without 14 players and counting as the portal swallows his players up. That’s not even counting the players that have/will opt out for the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.

“Look, it is what it is. I have no control over it,” Saban said. “I have a lot of respect for the guys that sort of want to be at Alabama, want to play for Alabama, want to compete for Alabama, want to be a part of the team, have respect for their teammates in terms of what they can do to help their team, but it’s the culture of college football and people have the choice to do whatever they choose to do and my choice is to coach the guys that we have here that want to play for us.”

Luckily, Alabama superstars Will Anderson and Bryce Young will be returning for the Sugar Bowl. It will likely serve as a farewell to two of the most dominant players Nick Saban has coached at Alabama before they head to the pros.

Even with the services of Williams and Young, the roster depletion will be noticeable, at least on the sidelines. The Tide will be losing two former five-star recruits in Trey Sanders and Tommy Brockermeyer, not to mention a litany of former four-stars as well.

The sky would be falling on any other program, but Alabama won’t be fazed. They’ll have a slew of top transfers and recruits for as long as Saban remains in Tuscaloosa. As they say, the wheel keeps turning.