Nick Saban is barely out the door and it seems like people are already champing at the bit to try and recruit Alabama players.
Saban announced that he was retiring from coaching on Wednesday, prompting shock from many across the college football landscape.
But it appears that others also saw opportunities.
Among them appeared to be Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who took to X to try and not so subtly sway Alabama players to make the move out west.
“Alabama players tap [in],” Sanders wrote with the wide eyes emoji at the beginning of the post.
Alabama players now have a 30-day window in which they can enter the transfer portal and they will be able to transfer inside the conference, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.
Sanders may be taking a page out of his father’s book, with Deion, the coach at Colorado, using the transfer portal to lure players to the program.
Saban’s retirement has already had an impact on the team’s roster.
Shortly after the news about Saban began to break, five-star wide receiver Ryan Williams decommitted from Alabama.
“First off I would like to thank God, my family, and anyone else who has helped me make it to this point… but with careful consideration with my family I will be decommitting from the University of Alabama … respect my decision,” Williams told On3.
Williams told Hayes Fawcett that Saban’s departure played a role in the decision.
Alabama had already had 18 players enter the transfer portal before news that Saban would be retiring and it’s unclear how many could be on the move now that the legendary college coach is stepping away.
“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me,” Saban said in a statement announcing his decision. “We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way.
“The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home.”