It’s wild to think about Alabama football now. Nick Saban is gone, and Kalen DeBoer is pacing the sideline now. Yet somehow, you can almost still hear Saban’s gravelly voice echoing through the hallways of Bryant-Denny. Seventeen years of Saban brought six national titles to Alabama, nine SEC crowns, and a collection of first-round NFL picks so big that you could fill a stadium with them. Suddenly, Bama wasn’t just good. They became inevitable. Players bought in, rival coaches adapted, and even other schools copied Saban’s blueprint for building a powerhouse. And Saban had this really profound expertise in identifying talent.

And it’s strange to imagine a recruiting world that no longer includes college football’s greatest scout. Some of the biggest names in football today came through Tuscaloosa because Nick Saban had an eye for can’t-miss talent. Julio Jones, the electric wide receiver who went on to make a name for himself in the NFL. Then Mark Ingram, Alabama’s first Heisman Trophy winner, who racked up yards and touchdowns for the New Orleans Saints. And that’s just scratching the surface. Because tucked in between those big headlines is a name every Alabama fan holds close: Trent Richardson. The running back was a wrecking ball in crimson and white, torching SEC defenses. But ask Trent about all that Alabama glory, and he’ll let you in on the real secret: Nick Saban’s recruiting genius is still as sharp as ever.

“He’ll watch a kid for 10 minutes, five minutes. He can play,” Trent said about Saban on a podcast. “It was like two or three of them. And he knew exactly which one from them [was] running the route, like one route, what he wanted. And it was just like, that’s what I want.” Even after stepping away from the head coach’s headset, Saban’s fingerprints are all over Alabama’s latest recruiting successes. It’s not just tradition or rumors: there are literal photos of Saban cheesing next to five-star running backs like Ezavier Crowell. And this is a huge help for DeBoer, who is running his second year for the Bamas. When elite prospects come strolling down the Walk of Champions for a visit, Saban’s presence still looms large. The numbers are wild. 21 commits already have landed Bama in the top five nationwide.

Take Cederian Morgan, a 6’4’’, 210-pound receiver from Alexander City. Sure, Coach DeBoer gets the lion’s share of credit. But, if you listen to college football’s rumor mill, where Alabama’s GM Courtney Morgan liked a post about Saban still recruiting. There’s a sense that Nick is still quietly making things happen. Analysts like RJ Young outright say, “I also think that Nick Saban ain’t necessarily running things, but he is still very much rooting for, pulling for, and recruiting on behalf of Alabama. That’s not nothing. It is becoming, I believe, much more of an heirloom to say that you played for Nick Saban than any other coach probably in history because so many of those guys are not just in the NFL now, but they were great college players who have become great NFL players.” 

And even if we ignore the outside voice, DeBoer himself leans hard on Saban’s wisdom. “So he’s just been amazing,” DeBoer said. “And not just for me, but I know [defensive coordinator] Kane Wommack and the defensive staff are excited about having continued conversations, just talking ball. We have great coaches on our staff, but you can’t help but make sure that you utilize that resource in Coach Saban.” Nick even helped land linemen like Kadyn Proctor and quarterbacks like Keelon Russell. That said, not everyone agrees that Saban is the sole factor. Iconic analyst Paul Finebaum reminds us that Alabama’s brand is historic and powerful all on its own. Their collective belief is that Crimson Tide’s recruiting appeal predates Saban’s arrival by decades.

It has numerous championships and high-profile recruiting classes dating back to the early 20th century. For Finebaum, while Saban’s shadow is large, the program itself carries weight that recruiters and players can’t ignore. Plus, DeBoer is proving his mettle with a strong winning record and top-ranked recruiting classes, standing firm on his own merits. Meanwhile, the families of recruits sometimes step in to set the record straight. Jay Clay, mother of five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin, took to social media to emphatically praise DeBoer and his staff, making it clear Saban didn’t personally recruit her son. See, Kalen DeBoer benefits from inheriting an established pipeline, but Saban’s name and reputation still open doors. That legacy draws in the blue-chip players who want to be part of a winning tradition.

Kalen DeBoer’s recruiting army is no less

Kalen DeBoer is quickly proving he’s not just inheriting a top-tier program but building a staff that can recruit at an elite level and even flip committed athletes from powerhouse rivals. One of the best examples? Alabama’s slick move to try and flip Nash Johnson III, a defensive back originally committed to Georgia. That, too, with help from their co-defensive coordinator and DB coach Maurice Linguist. The guy’s got a rep as a sharp recruiter and a master developer of defensive backs.

Linguist got NFL experience with the Dallas Cowboys and has coached at major programs like Texas A&M and Minnesota. His energy, personality, and knack for personal connections make recruits and families feel right at home. And that is a huge deal when you’re competing against elite schools. When he reached out to Nash Johnson with a casual but earnest video from practice, it showed how much Alabama is waiting for Nash to rethink his CFB future.

Linguist’s recruitment style is what people call “family-first.” When 4-star DB Zyan Gibson committed, Linguist was immediately FaceTiming the family. He made sure they felt valued. That approach pays off. Even five-star safety Jireh Edwards, one of Alabama’s prized defensive commits, raved about the coaches. And especially how Linguist and fellow DB coach Jason Jones embraced his family and made them feel part of a bigger plan. This has been a signature of DeBoer’s tenure so far. He surrounds himself with coaches like Linguist who know the recruiting game inside out and can build relationships far beyond just the field.