Nick Saban’s retirement was bound to cause waves. Yet, the suddenness of it was as unexpected as Saban’s retirement. Hence, various programs were quick to pounce on the opportunity in front of them to capture the gridiron-savvy Alabama players. The temptation to secure the bet of players got the best of the franchises, prompting them to walk on the thin line between ethical and unethical. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders was one of the first ones to tread on it.
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The transfer portal, being a free agency, operates on its own rules. Hence, the organization, upon hearing the news of Saban retiring, opened an exclusive 30-day window for Alabama players after the portal officially shut for this season on January 2. Amidst all this, Shedeur Sanders asked
“All Alabama players tap n,” Creating a maelstrom of suspicions around Buffs indulging in the alleged ‘tampering’.Sanders’ exposed amidst ‘tampering’
Coach Prime was one of the very first head coaches to comment on Saban’s retirement. Sanders built bridges of praise for Saban, referring to him as GOAT several times. Moments after, Shedeur Sanders dropped the assumed anti-ethical comment, creating a muddle. Analysts were quick to jump on the mishap. Jason Brown, the host of
The Coach JB Show with Big Smitty took the responsibility to address it, targeting the hypocrisy of Deion Sanders, as his son posted a polarising comment as compared to his. “There’s not even a pause or a breath being taken for the rest in peace for a couple days,” said Coach Brown while appearing disappointed.ADVERTISEMENT
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Teams allegedly targeting Alabama players
Teams across conferences know what Nick Saban has forged all these years. They want to benefit from it. Per 247 Sports’ Mike Rodak, “Players began getting calls with huge NIL offers.” Hence, going over the boundary of contacting the players who are not in the transfer portal.
This alleged ‘tampering’ is not something the Alabama Crimson Tide are unfamiliar with. However, when it heightened in 2022, Nick Saban was there to calm the growing storm down and handle the behind-the-scenes. Now, with Saban out of the question, it will be a task for Bama officials to put reins on it.
Watch this story: Coach Jim Harbaugh Sets The Record Straight On Michigan’s Sign-Stealing Incident