A year is an eternity in CFB. Nick Saban’s retirement was always bound to cause a paradigm shift in the sport as a whole. A year on, seismic aftershocks are still reverberating across the epicenter, Tuscaloosa. The problem for Alabama is that these shocks aren’t quite dissipating. In fact, they’re tearing up the foundation. If activity around the transfer portal is anything to go by, the house that Saban built is standing rather precariously under the tenancy of his successor, Kalen DeBoer. 

In a troubling revelation for the Crimson Tide, a mass exodus has ensued this off-season. A multitude of players, many recruited under the previous regime, are seeking to take their talents elsewhere. At the forefront of this pack is former 5-star running back Justice Haynes. To rub salt into their proverbial wounds, Haynes is reportedly trending towards a program which is also reeling from growing pains under a new head coach. Alabama is seemingly not even leading that niche of schools, and NIL is a major proponent of why.

According to On3 recruitment experts Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong, the Michigan Wolverines are Justice Haynes’ likely landing spot. Based on the duo leveraging their combined intel, On3 gives it a 60% on the “confidence meter” that Haynes ends up in Ann Arbor. This is a particularly bad look for Alabama, who also lost D-lineman Damon Payne to Michigan a week ago. Payne was also a 5-star recruit. The magnet pulling this calibre of talent to the Wolverines seemingly has a green tint to it.

Pete Nakos also revealed that Justice Haynes is in line to receive up to $500,000 in NIL money from Michigan. Other reports have also claimed this offer was higher than what another Haynes suitor, South Carolina, offered. It would appear this tipped the balances for Sherrone Moore’s team, amongst other factors. Haynes currently has an NIL valuation of $397,000. These reported figures would imply a 20% markup.

Before this off-season, Michigan was overlooking the evolution of CFB recruitment since the advent of NIL. Now that they’ve adopted modernity, they’re fully flexing their maize and blue muscles. The school recently closed a deal with fan-engagement platform Passes. This deal, with a view to providing fans with exclusive content in exchange for funds, saw the school rake in $200 million. This money shall be spread across different varsity sports. After Bryce Underwood and now the likes of Justice Haynes, it appears the football program is benefiting. Kalen DeBoer will be happy that Alabama has derived that a change in philosophy is necessitated.

Alabama emulating Michigan’s NIL efforts to kickstart Kalen DeBoer era into gear

The dynamic around recruitment in CFB is very different now than it was in the Saban era. No longer is it about how much the coach praised your mom’s cooking when he visited your family home. It’s a more arbitrary process now, with NIL in the fray. It’s no indictment of Kalen DeBoer. But the sheen has worn off Alabama after Saban’s departure. Players now perhaps view Bama in the same echelon as their adversaries. Like it or not, NIL dictates recruitment massively now. Concurring with this notion, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne has decided to be more proactive.

In an attempt to boost their NIL treasury, Byrne shared an open letter with the Alabama faithful last week. An excerpt from his plea, also posted on his X account, read,” There’s a time for talk and a time for action. Now is a time for action. Although we have been competitive from an NIL standpoint, our competition has us in their sights and are actively trying to surge ahead with NIL. You have heard examples of other teams using promises of million-dollar paydays to lure away our players or convince them not to come to Alabama. It is time for the Bama Nation to fight back” Byrne proceeded to lay the details of Alabama’s NIL official fund-raising entity, “Yea Alabama”. 

Similar to Passes, this is also a platform providing fans with exclusive content and merchandise. It’s not like Alabama is trying to mimic Michigan. However, it is ironic to think about the breaking developments around Justice Haynes and even Damon Payne. The term “fan” entails a lot more than support now. They’re the biggest stakeholders of their programs and can directly affect how things are run. Kalen DeBoer and the powers that be will need all the help they can garner. To steer around this massive crimson ship, back towards the top rung of the CFB ladder.