Nick Saban wasn’t just the best coach in the history of college football; he was also the best defensive backs coach in the sport. So, once Saban retired, the position group that was once his specialty emptied out.
Alabama lost 11 defensive backs to the portal last offseason, the most of any position group after Saban’s departure, including 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year, Caleb Downs. The five-star recruit was dominant for the Tide in his true freshman season, and though he fled the program for Ohio State, he feels for his former classmates after their loss to Florida State in Week 1.