Nick Saban stunned the college football world when he announced his retirement on Wednesday, and one former Alabama star knows exactly how he would have reacted to the news if he were still playing in Tuscaloosa.
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey played for Saban for three seasons at Alabama from 2014-2016. Like so many other Crimson Tide players, he went on to become a first-round pick. Humphrey clearly feels Saban is the primary reason for that, as evidenced by his reaction to news of the 72-year-old coach calling it a career.
“I would have been in that portal so fast after I heard Saban retiring lol,” Humphrey wrote on X.
I would have been in that portal so fast after I heard Saban retiring lol
— marlonhumphrey.eth (@marlon_humphrey) January 10, 2024
Humphrey’s post triggered a lot of Alabama fans. Is it never a good look for a prominent alumnus to basically tell players they should find another program, but Humphrey was simply stating the obvious.
Alabama will remain one of the premier programs in college football, but Saban has been their biggest draw for years. Top players knew they would be guaranteed to contend for a national championship and then have a great shot at a successful NFL career if they played for Saban. The challenge for Alabama will be finding someone who can carry on that standard of excellence.
The Crimson Tide already lost one big recruit after Saban made his announcement. There will be plenty more where that came from, and it does not sound like Humphrey is going to try to change their minds.
