Latest update:Alabama consistent is sure the key

Alabama won first SEC Championship Game and went on to win national championship

From time-to-time I have been asked to compare Alabama football coaches Paul Bryant and Nick Saban. What most expect are for me to name a “best.” That is not possible. Different times in so many ways. I have always – from the first time I was asked that question – said that Bryant was the best of his era and Saban is the best today and I suspect any logical evaluation would have them the two best of all time in college football.

One of the many ways in which they are similar is understanding the rules. One summer when I was in sports information at Alabama I went into Bryant’s office and found him reading the NCAA rules book. I suggested he already knew all the rules and he said he reviewed them every year. “If you don’t know the rules, you can’t use them to help you,” he said.

Saban has obviously taken advantage of rules at Alabama.

Nick Saban and his staff did what they do best in the last month or so; close out the recruiting cycle on a high note. With two more high school prospects officially announcing over the weekend during the All-American Bowl, Alabama’s 2024 class is up to 25 signees. The Crimson Tide also added three players through the transfer portal.

Alabama is still waiting for perhaps the most important signature of the class. Five-star receiver and current commit Ryan Williams (Saraland, AL) will take three official visits in the next few weeks before making his final decision and signing on his birthday, Feb. 9. Williams, who reclassified from 2o25 to 2024 in December, will officially visit Alabama (Jan. 20), Te