FSU football: Nick Saban's retirement opens door for recruiting to take advantage

Alabama Unproven Now

All of the things Alabama coaches could tell recruits don't hold near as much water now. There is no legendary coach that can nearly guarantee development and getting drafted by an NFL team. Will Alabama most assuredly be in the national championship conversation without Saban? It's possible, but not nearly the guarantee it has been over the past 17 years. Kalen Deboer is a good coach, but he has to prove himself in Alabama before folks trust him there. What he did at Washington means nothing, and teams like FSU, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, and others will look to take full advantage of the situation.

It means the percentage of top players from Georgia and Florida that would leave to the state to play for Nick Saban will likely decrease significantly, since Alabama will have a new and unproven staff. It's the perfect storm for a program like FSU. They have a proven track record under Mike Norvell, and he can throw some weight around because Alabama wanted him to coach, and he told them no thanks.