Paul Finebaum opens up on Alabama's transfer portal entries after Nick Saban retirement

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement on Jan. 10. In the 15 days since, 19 former Alabama players have transferred to other programs. During an appearance on “The Tim May Show,” Paul Finebaum weighed in on the Crimson Tide’s mass exodus.

“I’ve lost track of the names when they start showing up like Caleb Downs, who is a freshman, who was their best player last year. Kevin Steele said, before the season, ‘He will be the best player.’ And, in many ways, he was,” Finebaum said.

“Then, you lose a guy like Julian Sayin, who I’ve heard compared to Bryce Young as an incoming freshman.”

Downs entered the portal on Jan. 17. Just two days later, he committed to Ohio State. It’s a massive loss for the Crimson Tide. Downs was the SEC Freshman of the Year and the SEC Newcomer of the Year.

The standout safety also earned first-team All-SEC honors. He became the first Alabama freshman to lead the team in tackles in program history with 107. Downs isn’t the only Alabama player who is heading to Columbus.

Sayin committed to Ohio State two days after Downs. Unlike Downs, Sayin never played a snap for Alabama. Nonetheless, he boasted rare potential. The 6-foot-2 prospect was the No. 1 overall QB in the 2024 cycle, according to On3 Industry Rankings.

Alabama also lost former five-star offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor to the transfer portal. Proctor started 13 games at left tackle as a true freshman, earning All-SEC Freshman Team honors. On Jan. 20, he committed to Iowa.

Paul Finebaum not hitting the panic button on ‘Bama

In total, Alabama has lost 29 players in the transfer portal while only adding six. On Monday, during an appearance on “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning,” Finebaum delved deeper into Alabama’s transfer concerns.

“It’s always alarming when you see marquee players walk out,” Finebaum said. “I understand the reaction. The problem I think about making any rash generalizations is we’re in the middle of this. Nobody knows exactly how it’s going to land and really what this roster is going to look like.

“Everybody wants to know, ‘Is this a playoff team? Can this team win the national championship?’ I don’t think there’s an easy answer to any of that right now until the dust settles.”

It won’t be long before the dust settles. Before long newly-hired Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer will lead the Crimson Tide into spring ball.