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The Tuscaloosa News
Absent CFP berth, bowl opt-outs a pending reality for Alabama football
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- Absent CFP berth, bowl opt-outs a pending reality for Alabama football
Two years ago, after Alabama football learned it would face Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl, a harsh reality of the college game that had never before beset one of former coach Nick Saban's Crimson Tide teams was knocking on the locker room door.
Opt-outs — players foregoing participation in a bowl game to begin preparation for the NFL draft — had never been at issue at Alabama because the Crimson Tide was such a regular participant in the College Football Playoff, the lure of a national championship was more than enough to hold the roster together. And thanks to quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson, it wasn't an issue for the Sugar Bowl, either.
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Both had just been named captains of the 2022 team, chose not to opt-out despite being considered high first-round draft picks, and successfully implored their draft-eligible teammates to stick around. Alabama, in turn, routed Kansas State 45-20 with a full complement of talent. Two years later, with the Crimson Tide's hopes of reaching the 2024 CFP looking slim, the opt-out bug seems primed to return to Tuscaloosa.
And this time, it could bring a nasty bite.
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Alabama isn't likely to have as strong of a draft class as what was typical under Saban, but it nevertheless has plenty of draft-worthy players. They include team captains Jalen Milroe , Tyler Booker , Deontae Lawson and Malachi Moore , as well as wide receiver Germie Bernard , whose play has turned the heads of NFL scouts this season. Standout linebacker Jihaad Campbell , in whom scouts see vast pro potential, will be draft-eligible as well.
Those decisions would be about six weeks away if Alabama fails to reach the CFP.
That's a long way off, but the decision to play a bowl game for a first-year coach like Kalen DeBoer is very different from the choice players made in 2022 to stay on and play a bowl for the game's best all-time coach. The allure won't be the same, Nor will the peer pressure.
Opt-outs aren't necessarily a bad thing for a program's continuity; for each opt-out, there's a chance for a younger player to gain experience. The coaching staff can get a closer look at that player as well, and have a better idea of what it can expect from him the next season.
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For most schools, it's routine now.
For Alabama, it would be new.
Tuscaloosa News sport columnist Chase Goodbread.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Absent CFP berth, bowl opt-outs a pending reality for Alabama football
