Nick Saban reveals which Alabama player he is most proud of entering spring practice

Alabama is coming off of a disappointing loss in the National Championship game, and the Crimson Tide will have to replace some key contributors next season. Nick Saban just opened up on Alabama offensive lineman and tight end Kendall Randolph, who has impressed his head coach throughout his collegiate career.

“Well I really love it when guys like Kendall Randolph show great resiliency, perseverance to continue to want to try to develop as players, make a commitment to the team to do whatever you need to do to help the team be successful,” Saban said about Randolph. “This is one of the guys that I’m most proud of in terms of where he came from, from when he was a young player to where he is now. To graduate, to become a leader, to set a really good example, to have sort of great goals and aspirations for what he wants to do in the future, and what his focus is and his commitment is to it.”

Randolph has played both tight end and offensive line for Alabama. He has 13 career starts at tight end. Now, thanks to his hard work and a couple of holes on the offensive front, Randolph is in line to compete for a starting job next season.

“I think this is a great example of what college football should be,” said Saban. “And he’s created a lot of value for himself here by what he’s developed into and we’re really proud of him and I’m really happy to have him back. I think the first thing we got to do is let him compete for our starting job in the offensive line, which is going to be our first priority for him in the spring.”

Randolph on his decision to return to Alabama

Randolph came to Alabama as part of the 2017 recruiting class. He has one final season of collegiate eligibility, and he opted to return to Tuscaloosa for one final season.

The main thing on Randolph’s mind is going out on top.

“I’ve always wanted to go out on top, and this season did not end the way that I hoped it would,” Randolph wrote. “We did not complete the mission, and I can’t leave knowing I could have done more.

“With that being said, I will be returning for my final season and cannot wait to get back to work. I know that we have a special group of guys coming back. The 2022 season cannot get here soon enough.”