Like the NFL, college football never sleeps. On the afternoon of January 10, 2024, college football was rocked when legendary head coach Nick Saban retired as the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
What ensued following Saban’s retirement was nothing short of a Hollywood movie.
Alabama’s Path Following Nick Saban’s Retirement
Tracking the trickle-down effect following Saban’s retirement has been no easy task. It set in motion more movement than any one person could have ever imagined.
In order to fully understand the ramifications of Saban’s retirement, we here at CFN had to break it down by personnel type. Those buckets went as follows: coaches, players entering the transfer portal, players exiting the transfer portal.
Here’s how all the movement went following Saban’s retirement from Alabama.
Coaching Carousel Heats Up Following Saban’s Retirement
January 10, 2024 – Nick Saban retires from Alabama
January 11, 2024 – Oregon HC Dan Lanning, Florida State HC Mike Norvell, and Texas HC Steve Sarkisian all receive raises after their inclusion in rumors to head to Tuscaloosa
January 12, 2024 – Former Washington HC Kalen DeBoer is hired at Alabama.
January 14, 2024 – Former Arizona HC Jedd Fisch is hired at Washington.
January 16, 2024 – Former San Jose State HC Brent Brennan is hired at Arizona. Former South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack was hired as DeBoer’s defensive coordinator at Alabama.
January 17, 2024 – Former Buffalo head coach Maurice Linguist resigns from Buffalo to join DeBoer’s staff at Alabama.
January 20, 2024 – Major Applewhite was promoted to head coach at South Alabama.
January 21, 2024 – Former Navy HC Ken Niumatalolo is hired at San Jose State. Former South Carolina ST Coordinator Pete Lembo was hired as head coach at Buffalo.
Transfer Portal Goes Bananas Following Saban’s Retirement
January 10, 2024 – Alabama WR Isaiah Bond enters the portal while Washington players CB Jakson Berman, TE Griffin Waiss, CB Jaivion Green, and LB Austin Harnetiaux also enter.
January 12, 2024 – Alabama CB Shawn Murphy enters portal; Isaiah Bond commits to Texas. Washington players CB Jabbar Muhammad, S Mishael Powell, QB William Haskell, QB Will Rogers, LB Ethan Barr, and S Asa Turner enter the portal.
January 13, 2024 – Alabama CB Dezz Ricks and S Antonio Kite enter portal; Shawn Murphy commits to Florida State.
MORE: Alabama Crimson Tide Transfer Portal Report Card
January 14, 2024 – Alabama TE Amari Niblack and Washington players QB Austin Mack, iOL Nate Kalepo, and CB Dyson McCutcheon enter the portal. Jaivion Green commits to Stanford.
January 15, 2024 – Washington WR Germie Bernard enters the portal. Arizona players RB Jonah Coleman and QB Brayden Dorman enter the portal.
January 16, 2024 – Alabama CB Trey Amos enters the portal. Mishael Powell commits to Miami (FL). Former Nebraska QB Chubba Purdy flips commitment from San Jose State to Nevada.
January 17, 2024 – Alabama S Caleb Downs and OT Kadyn Proctor enter portal; Dezz Ricks commits to Texas A&M. Washington players QB Alex Johnson, iOL Parker Brailsford, S Vincent Holmes, iOL Julius Buelow, and iOL Geirean Hatchett enter the portal. Arizona players CB Ephesians Prysock, TE Keyan Burnett, RB Adam Mohammed, WR Audric Harris, QB Demond Williams, and TE Dorian Thomas enter the portal. Dyson McCutcheon withdraws his name, returns to Washington. San Jose State LB Justin Eklund enters the portal.
January 18, 2024 – Alabama WR Jameer Grimsley enters portal; Antonio Kite commits to Auburn, Amari Niblack to Texas, and Grimsley to Florida. Washington iOL Landen Hatchett joins his brother in the portal. Arizona players CB Jordan Shaw and OT Raymond Pulido enter the portal. South Alabama LB Khalil Jacobs enters the portal.
January 19, 2024 – Alabama QB Julian Sayin enters portal; Trey Amos commits to Ole Miss. Washington RB Tybo Rogers enters the portal. Arizona players DL Tiaoalii Savea and LB Anthony Ward enter the portal. Ethan Barr commits to UCF. Austin Mack transfers to Alabama. South Alabama iOL James Robinson enters the portal.
January 20, 2024 – Kadyn Proctor commits to Iowa.
January 21, 2024 – Caleb Downs and Julian Sayin commit to Ohio State. Washington athlete Peyton Waters enters the portal. Former Washington players Germie Bernard and Parker Brailsford transfer to Alabama. Former Arizona players RB Jonah Coleman, RB Adam Mohammed, QB Demond Williams, and CB Jordan Shaw transfer to Washington. Eklund commits to Bowling Green. Former Indiana CB Jordan Shaw honors commitment to Fisch, flips commitment from Arizona to Washington.
January 22, 2024 – Washington QB Dermaricus Davis enters the portal. Dorian Thomas and Keyan Burnett withdraw their name from the portal, return to Arizona. San Jose State players RB Quali Conley and LB Bryun Parham enter the portal.
Team-By-Team Changes Post-Saban
With that much movement, it’s easier to visualize what each team will look like following Saban’s retirement.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Head Coach: Kalen DeBoer
Co-Defensive Coordinator: Kane Wommack
Co-Defensive Coordinator: Maurice Linguist
Players Lost:
Julian Sayin, QB
Jameer Grimsley, WR
Kadyn Proctor, OT
Caleb Downs, S
Trey Amos, CB
Amari Niblack, TE
Antonio Kite, CB
Dezz Ricks, CB
Shawn Murphy, LB
Isaiah Bond, WR
Players Gained:
Parker Brailsford, iOL (Washington)
Germie Bernard, WR (Washington)
Austin Mack, QB (Washington)
Washington Huskies
Head Coach: Jedd Fisch
Players Lost:
Dermaricus Davis, QB
Peyton Waters, ATH
Tybo Rogers, RB
Landen Hatchett, iOL
Alex Johnson, QB
Parker Brailsford, iOL
Vincent Holmes, S
Julius Buelow, iOL
Geirean Hatchett, iOL
Germie Bernard, WR
Austin Mack, QB
Nate Kalepo, iOL
Dyson McCutcheon, CB
Jabbar Muhammad, CB
Mishael Powell, S
William Haskell, QB
Will Rogers, QB
Ethan Barr, LB
Asa Turner, S
Jakson Berman, CB
Griffin Waiss, TE
Jaivion Green, CB
Austin Harnetiaux, LB
Players Gained:
Jordan Shaw, CB (Arizona)
Demond Williams, QB (Arizona)
Adam Mohammed, RB (Arizona)
Jonah Coleman, RB (Arizona)
Dyson McCutcheon, CB (Washington, withdrew))
Jordan Shaw, CB (Indiana)
Arizona Wildcats
Head Coach: Brent Brennan
Players Lost:
Anthony Ward, LB
Tiaoalii Savea, DL
Raymond Pulido, OT
Jordan Shaw, CB
Demond Williams, QB
Audric Harris, WR
Adam Mohammed RB
Ephesians Prysock, CB
Brayden Dorman, QB
Jonah Coleman, RB
Players Gained:
Dorian Thomas, TE (Arizona, withdrew)
Keyan Burnett, TE (Arizona, withdrew)
San Jose State Spartans
Head Coach: Ken Niumatalolo
Players Lost:
Bryun Parham, LB
Quali Conley, RB
Justin Eklund, LB
Players Gained:
South Alabama Jaguars
Head Coach: Major Applewhite
Players Lost:
James Robinson, iOL
Khalil Jacobs, LB
Players Gained: tbd
Buffalo Bulls
Head Coach: Pete Lembo
Players Lost: n/a
Players Gained: tbd
Auburn Tigers
Players Gained: Antonio Kite, CB (Alabama)
Bowling Green Falcons
Players Gained: Justin Eklund, LB (San Jose State)
Florida Gators
Players Gained: Jameer Grimsley, WR (Alabama)
Florida State Seminoles
Players Gained: Shawn Murphy, LB (Alabama)
Iowa Hawkeyes
Players Gained: Kadyn Proctor, OT (Alabama)
Miami Hurricanes
Players Gained: Mishael Powell, S (Washington)
Ohio State Buckeyes
Players Gained: Julian Sayin, QB (Alabama); Caleb Downs, S (Alabama)
Ole Miss Rebels
Players Gained: Trey Amos, CB (Alabama)
Stanford Cardinal
Players Gained: Jaivion Green, CB (Washington)
Texas Longhorns
Players Gained: Isaiah Bond, WR (Alabama); Amari Niblack, TE (Alabama)
Texas A&M Aggies
Players Gained: Dezz Ricks, CB (Alabama)
UCF Knights
Players Gained: Ethan Barr, LB (Washington)
This story is ongoing and we will continue to update the movement from all across the country as any one of the dozens of athletes actively in the portal commit to transfer.
Miss any action from the top college QB Rankings during the 2023 football season? Want to track all the movement with the college football’s transfer portal? College Football Network has you covered with that and more!