The Alabama Crimson Tide will always be at the center of the college football universe. In Tuscaloosa, football is a way of life and has become a national brand.
The first CFN Alabama News Round-Up takes a look at the latest and greatest from College Football’s Mecca, including the latest following Saban’s retirement, Crimson Tide alumni at the Combine, and rule changes coming for the sport.
Alabama Football News Today
It’s simple, really, we’re taking a look at all the happenings from Tuscaloosa and former Alabama players from around the country. With the Combine this past week and spring ball filling the air with all too familiar cracking of pads, here are the latest Alabama stories from around the web.
Nick Saban the “Greatest To Do It,” Says Jaylen Key
Former Alabama defensive back Jaylen Key wasn’t around Tuscaloosa for long. The one-year Tide defender, however, used his platform with the program to parlay it into a successful season and a trip to the 2024 NFL Combine.
Speaking at the Combine, Key spoke about his time at Alabama, his journey through the portal, and the reasoning behind choosing Alabama as his last college stop. Inside of those comments happened to be a nugget of information about former head coach Nick Saban as the biggest driver of Key’s services.
KEEP READING: Alabama DB Jaylen Key Opens Up on the Importance of Nick Saban’s Influence
Projecting Alabama’s 2-Deep for Spring Game
The season is far from close, but we can still get a great glimpse of what the 2024 campaign for the Crimson Tide can look like this spring. With practices underway across the nation, CFN looked at the projected depth chart for a handful of programs across the country.
Inside of that two-deep for ‘Bama is one cloyingly obvious thing: Depth may be a concern in 2024. Outside of quarterback, questions remain across the entire roster for the most part. How’d CFN do with their projected 2-deep below?
KEEP READING: Projected 2024 Alabama Depth Chart
Rule Changes Coming for College Football, Alabama
The Crimson Tide football program has undergone plenty of change since Saban’s retirement. Off the field, the program will never look the same again. However, largely, the on-field product could very well still compete for SEC Championships under new head coach Kalen DeBoer.
What that looks like, however, will be very different. That comes directly from offseason rule changes that are heading toward college football’s 2024 season. Those changes include coach-to-play communication, two-minute warnings, and much more.
KEEP READING: NCAA Football Rules Committee Proposals: Two-Minute Timeout, Coach-to-Player Helmet Communication, and More
Four Crimson Tide Players Go in First Round of Recent Mock Draft
The NFL Combine was headlined by a handful of former Alabama players, notably Terrion Arnold, who had reporters engaged, laughing, and fully captivated. Then Dallas Turner tore up the on-field drills at Lucas Oil Field.
In a recent mock draft on Pro Football Network, CFN/PFN Analyst Will Helms selected four different Crimson Tide players in the first 32 picks. Dallas Turner (ninth overall), JC Latham (13th), Arnold (15th), and Kool-Aid McKinstry (25th) were each selected in the first round.
KEEP READING: Will Helms’ 2024 NFL Mock Draft: Who Gets Caleb Williams If Chicago Keeps Justin Fields?
Nick Saban’s Trickle-Down Effect Felt Nationwide
The latest and greatest bit of news around Alabama this spring was obviously Saban’s retirement and DeBoer’s hiring. However, it wasn’t just Tuscaloosa and Seattle that felt those two bits of news.
In fact, you could make the case that the NFL was altered forever because of Saban’s hiring. The timeline to what happened after Saban announced his retirement is both miraculous and amazing.
KEEP READING: The Nick Saban Trickle Down Effect: Coast to Coast From Kalen DeBoer to Ken Niumatalolo
Miss any action from the top college QB Rankings during the 2023 football season? Want to track all the movement with the college football transfer portal? College Football Network has you covered with that and more!