I see what you’re doing, Nick Saban. You knew you were going to have two players selected in the top five in the NFL Draft, and you weren’t going to let that draft opportunity go to waste. It was time to remind the world who the real boss is in college football.
So what if Kirby Smart has won the last two National Championships, Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide just produced the first offensive and defensive player drafted? Until Smart decides to start quarterbacking a real live explosive football player, he’ll never be able to sell that to recruits. Since he doesn’t put those kinds of players behind center, of course he doesn’t have to show off to pull off Saban’s outfit from Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft.
They all look at Nick
When the broadcast draft showed Bryce Young’s area in the green room, also known as the lobby of Kansas City’s Union Station, Saban was in the group and looked like Cam’Ron’s godfather. I know the retro style of the years is making a comeback, but a pink sports jacket and tie, someone wanted to stand out on Thursday night.
That’s a real seller, folks. When Jalen Carter was selected by the philadelphia eagles, if you blinked you would have missed Smart dressed as a speaker at CPAC. Saban certainly has a reputation for being a tough guy, but he’s also gone viral doing Cupid Shuffle at a recruit’s house, and very well, I might add. I wonder if of the many people on Alabama’s football staff, Saban has a QA assistant in charge of keeping him up to date on the line dances he’ll have to perform on the recruiting path.
Recruitment never stops
In the NIL era, no potential advantage should be left unexplored. Athens is certainly a much more active college town than Tuscaloosa, and it also has a much larger celebrity fan base. related to a teenager than anyone who might appear on an Alabama sideline other than former players.
Alabama lost the SEC last year but won the draft war. Both Rivals and 24/7 Sports ranked The Tide’s 2023 class the best in America. Saban may be nearly 25 years older than Smart, but he’s still not ready to cede his throne as the godfather of college football.
The outfit choice was an alpha move. He came out ready for a 50+ night at a Kansas City jazz joint. With Young and Will Anderson ranked No. 1 and No. 3, he’s using draft night as a national TV commercial. He tells the recruits, “Yes, you can go to Georgia, but the man with the master plan is in Alabama.”
