Alabama football players transferring away could have participated in bowl, Nick Saban says
NEW ORLEANS ― Alabama football will have a different roster in the Sugar Bowl from the one Nick Saban had available for the Iron Bowl a month ago.
Such is the case in the transfer-portal era.
Ten scholarship players have put their names in the portal since the Iron Bowl, and all but one have found new homes already. If the players had waited, Saban said Friday, he would have allowed them to play in the Crimson Tide's bowl game.
"Even though we didn’t have any opt-outs, we had like 10 guys that got in the transfer portal," Saban said. "I gave them all the opportunity to play in the game if they wanted to. And they didn’t. So I don’t know if that’s a good thing for players, not to have to stay committed to their team to the end of our season."
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No. 5 Alabama (10-2) faces No. 9 Kansas State (10-3) on Saturday (11 a.m., ESPN) at the Superdome.
The players who have put their names in the portal since the end of the season have primarily been reserves, but a few had notable roles at one point or another. Left guard Javion Cohen is the only starter who entered the portal before transferring to Miami, but Traeshon Holden was a starter at one point in the season at receiver. JoJo Earle, who had been a contributor some when healthy, is the other more notable name.
Others are freshman receiver Aaron Anderson, backup left tackle Amari Kight, reserve lineman Tommy Brockermeyer, Tanner Bowles and Damieon George, reserve receiver Christian Leary and reserve cornerback Khyree Jackson. Jackson had been suspended from the team before he decided to transfer.
Saban said Thursday during his radio show that this had been the most enjoyable bowl practice experience he's had outside of the playoffs. Saban said sometimes it can be like pulling teeth.
"When you have guys on your team sometimes that, I call them energy vampires," Saban said. "You use all your energy on these guys, trying to get them to do what they’re supposed to. Those are the kinds of guys that don’t end up playing in bowl games and don’t end up doing the best thing to make the best choices and decisions for the team and all that because they’ve got other motives, which I’m not being critical of. But this team has really worked hard and done really, really, well."
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Nick Saban: Alabama football transfers could have participated in bowl
