Nick Saban reveals his conversations with Bryce Young, Will Anderson and their decision to play in Sugar Bowl

In college football today, it’s becoming more and more common to see players elect to opt out of bowl games. Especially if their team is outside the College Football Playoff. But for the Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Nick Saban, their top two players, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young and two-time All-American defensive end Will Anderson, have decided to play in the Sugar Bowl for the Crimson Tide against Kansas State, regardless of their impending draft decisions.

During a recent press conference, Saban revealed some insight into his conversations with Young and Anderson as they made their decisions to play in Sugar Bowl.

“It’s kind of interesting that people opt out of playing for their team. The way you create value for yourself is to play football,” said Saban. “That is the best way you can create value for your future. And when you do that against good competition, I think that creates value for the future. I hear guys all the time say; I’m going to get ready for the NFL. Well, what do you mean? You’re getting ready for the combine? A lot of the things you do at the combine are not even relevant to what you do on the football field.

“So, every time you have an opportunity to compete, if you’re a great competitor, and I think these two guys are great competitors, and that’s why they wanted to play; they want to try to continue to create value for themselves, be good teammates, help their teammates play well in the game. And that makes them old-fashion in a lot of ways, but I sure do respect that.”

Alabama not expecting any opt-outs for Sugar Bowl

No. 5 Alabama (10-2, 6-2 SEC) is playing No. 9 Kansas State (10-3, 7-2 Big 12) in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Eve in a couple of weeks. Apparently, the Crimson Tide will get full participation from all of its draft-eligible players for that game.

On Friday afternoon, Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that Alabama stars Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. would play in the game. Soon after, Chris Low, also of ESPN, added that the Crimson Tide weren’t expecting any opt-outs.

“I told them both (Young and Anderson) that it was their choice in terms of what they wanted to do,” Alabama coach Nick Saban told reporters on Friday. “We discussed the pros and cons of it, and they made their decisions.”

Obviously, this is big news for the outlook of this game.

Other impact players such as defensive backs Brian Branch and Eli Ricks, as well as running back Jahmyr Gibbs and some of Alabama’s seniors, were also potential candidates to forgo the Sugar Bowl in favor of avoiding injury and getting a head start on the draft process.