“Dude’s in the Portal… As a Lacrosse Player”: Alabama QB Switching Sport Signals Nick Saban’s Potential Peak Coaching Year

NCAA dynamics are rapidly changing, especially in the off-season landscape, as the teams devise their next moves with the transfer portal and traditional recruits. Decommitments and transfer announcements across the conferences are storming the college football. With this, the true leadership of the head coaches is put to the test.

Nick Saban’s 17-year-long chemistry with the team has yielded 6 National Champion Titles, along with 5 divisional championships. People around the world are celebrating Bama’s success, considering this season as one of his finest.

Nick Saban’s recruits speak volumes

Very few can disagree with the statement. While Saban has his fair share of epoch-making seasons, this season cannot be ignored. The game against Texas at the beginning of the season was the only unfortunate one for the team. But, Saban has his reasons for it. Jalen Milroe’s start against Texas was simply disastrous. Neither the fans nor Saban himself could bear it, resulting in Tyler Buchner starting the next game. Safe to say, the performance did not garner the status of a good performance, Buchner made the team win against USF.

The catch here? Buchner decided to enter the transfer portal as a lacrosse player. In his show ‘Late Kick with John Pate’, John Pate commented on Saban guiding the team right into the playoffs, with a starting QB turned lacrosse player. He said, “Buckner is five of 14 for 34 yards had a QBR of 9.4, that day (against USF) it was so bad. That dude’s in the portal now as a lacrosse player.”

Pate concluded a solid point in favor of Saban’s leadership skills, which turned the most average players into a playoff team with only one loss for the whole season. “They still found a way into the college football playoff. They still found a way to win the SEC Championship. Yeah I’d say it’s a pretty good coaching.”

Other recruits by Nick Saban

As if this was not enough of a record to shun the haters, Buckner is not the only recruit who led Alabama in the playoffs this season. Saban’s modifications in his coaching crew went highly unnoticed. Tommy Reese was hired as the offensive coordinator and Kevin Steele was appointed as a defensive coordinator. With his most vital coaches replaced during the season, along with pivotal players like Bryce Young and Will Anderson, is an almost death blow for any team.

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Yet, Saban handled all of it like a pro. Safe to say, Pate and everyone defending the Bama head coach have picked the stronger side.

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