College football analyst Josh Pate made clear on his recent podcast episode that no coach, including current Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, will be able to replicate the success of longtime Crimson Tide boss Nick Saban. While appearing on “Josh Pate’s College Football Show” on YouTube, Pate explained how the current transfer portal and recruiting environment would make it difficult for anyone to have that level of success again.
DeBoer took over for Saban as head coach at the beginning of 2024, after the latter had held that post since the 2007 college football season. This year, the Crimson Tide finished with a 9-3 regular-season record. However, the program did not make the College Football Playoff this year and lost their ReliaQuest Bowl game 19-13 against the Michigan Wolverines.
What Did Josh Pate Say About College Football?
Pate made clear his belief that the current days of player transfers and aggressive recruiting tactics would result in no program or coach replicating the success Saban had during his tenure with the Alabama football program.
“Nobody in college football is going to touch the Saban golden days again and I’m going to tell you why. We don’t play the same sport anymore. Kirby’s finding this out right now in Georgia. We don’t play the same sport anymore. So you can talk about the Saban blueprint all you want to,” he detailed.
What Does Alabama’s Roster Look Like Next Year?
Though it is expected that the Crimson Tide will remain a strong and talented roster next year, it is also widely believed that numerous key players on both sides of the ball will be departing to the NFL Draft as well.
In College Football Network’s latest 3-round NFL Mock Draft, six Crimson Tide players were selected to various NFL teams.
LB Jihaad Campbell (No. 17 overall to the Atlanta Falcons), IOL Tyler Booker (No. 19 overall to the Houston Texans), QB Jalen Milroe (No. 36 overall to the New York Giants), EDGE LT Overton (No. 54 overall to the Los Angeles Chargers), LB Deontae Lawson (No. 60 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles), and CB Domani Jackson (No. 97 overall to the Minnesota Vikings) were all selected within the first three rounds.
As is clear, the Crimson Tide will need to take advantage of the upcoming transfer portal and ensure that the program has suitable replacements for the stars heading to the NFL next year if they have any hope of returning to the success they had for so long under Saban.
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