Five programs that will benefit from Nick Saban's retirement
Alabama coach Nick Saban has dominated recruiting for so long that it’s hard to imagine what team won’t benefit from his retirement but here are five that could take advantage the most looking forward:
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AUBURN
Hugh Freeze and his staff are already doing a fantastic job with in-state talent for the 2025 class but with Saban gone in Tuscaloosa, things could get even better. The top two players in the state of Alabama - Na’eem Offord and Micah DeBose - are both serious about the Tigers already, four-star Alabama defensive end commit Zion Grady said he was “shocked” by the Saban news and so this could be an opportune time for Auburn to pounce with elite in-state players. Let’s also not forget that five-star receiver Ryan Williams remains unsigned and plans to visit Auburn this month before a final decision.
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GEORGIA
Those Nick Saban vs. Kirby Smart recruiting battles have been epic but will be no more. That’s a huge advantage to Smart and his coaching staff in Athens as a massive roadblock to elite talent is now gone. This could mean Georgia loads up even more as the rich get richer. Georgia had no issues recruiting before and basically split a lot of the top players with Alabama in recent recruiting classes, edge to the Bulldogs. Now that Saban is no longer there to close on the recruiting trail, it’s a massive advantage for UGA.
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FLORIDA STATE
Zion Grady was looking at Florida State. The Seminoles are one of the favorites for Alvin Henderson, the prolific running back from Elba, Ala. Especially to the Southeastern part of the state and the Mobile area, Tallahassee is not that far and now with an uncertain future for Alabama football, coach Mike Norvell and his staff could utilize this opportunity. There is a ton of talent in that area and Florida State is coming off an undefeated regular season where it had a real argument to make the playoff. Maybe some players will want to tap in.
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LSU
Over the years, the Alabama-LSU recruiting battles have been phenomenal and that did not change between Nick Saban and Brian Kelly in recent years. Whether it was the Crimson Tide trying to dip into Louisiana for top talent or the two SEC powers battling it out for some of the best players in the Southeast, Saban’s departure means the advantage now goes to LSU. The Tigers won their fair share of recruiting battles anyway but this could only help LSU to keep more in-state talent home.
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TEXAS
Whether it was Jase McClellan, Jalen Hale, Jamarion Miller or many others, Alabama has had success recruiting the state of Texas and that was in large part because so many elite players wanted to play for Saban. Alabama no longer has that particular advantage and now coach Steve Sarkisian can recruit to the fact that the Longhorns are coming off a College Football Playoff run. There’s no guarantee the new Alabama coach will stay out of Texas but at least Sarkisian won’t have to beat Saban for players.