aubiefifty

al.com Saraland 5-star WR Ryan Williams decommits from Alabama Updated: Jan. 10, 2024, 6:59 p.m.|Published: Jan. 10, 2024, 5:51 p.m. 3–4 minutes Saraland's Ryan Williams celebrates his first touchdown of the game during the AHSAA Super 7 Class 6A championship at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. Williams decommitted from Alabama on Wednesday. (Vasha Hunt | preps@al.com)Vasha Hunt | vhunt@al.com Saraland 5-star wide receiver and reigning Mr. Football Ryan Williams has decommitted from Alabama following the news of Nick Saban’s retirement from the school. Williams confirmed the news to AL.com on Wednesday night. “It’s about the departure of coach Saban and the receivers coach (Holmon Wiggins),” Williams said. “Of course, it’s a hard decision. I don’t really want to do it, but I have to explore my options and see what happens before Feb. 9.” Williams, the two-time Gatorade Alabama Player of the Year, has said he will sign on his 17th birthday next month. He said he had no idea about Saban’s retirement until the news broke. “I couldn’t talk to him, so I knew nothing about it,” Williams said. “I found out when everyone else found out. I was shocked. I didn’t believe it and then I saw it on official pages and I was like, ‘Oh, this is real.’” Williams said he was “still keeping (Alabama) in the equation until proving otherwise.” He committed to the the Tide on Oct. 8, 2022. He also said he still plans to visit the Crimson Tide on Jan. 20. He has scheduled visits to Texas on Jan. 27 and Auburn on Feb. 2. He also told AL.com on Wednesday that he has added a visit to Texas A&M this weekend. Williams jumped to No. 1 on AL.com’s A-List of top senior prospects in the state after he announced his reclassification last month. He is No. 2 on the 247 composite rankings and On3 industry rankings of the top seniors in the state behind Auburn signee Cam Coleman of Central-Phenix City. Williams will be in Montgomery on Tuesday for the Alabama Sports Writers Association Player of the Year Banquet. He is one of three finalists for Class 6A Back of the Year along with teammate KJ Lacey and Alabama signee and Clay-Chalkville star Jaylen Mbakwe. Williams is the reigning 6A Back of the Year and the reigning Mr. Football in the state. Scenes from Tuscaloosa’s first full day after Nick Saban’s retirementJan. 12, 2024, 6:03a.m. Why Mike Norvell makes sense as a candidate to replace Nick Saban at Alabama (and why he doesn’t)Jan. 11, 2024, 7:48p.m. Nick Saban plans on keeping an ‘Office in the stadium’ after retiring from Alabama footballJan. 11, 2024, 5:31p.m. Nick Saban retirement: A minute-by-minute look at how it happenedJan. 11, 2024, 5:23p.m. Nick Saban talks making retirement choice before team meeting, discussion with Miss TerryJan. 11, 2024, 4:46p.m. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

247sports.com In Sabans aftermath the time for Auburn to attack the talent gap is now Nathan King 9–12 minutes The post-Saban era of the Iron Bowl rivalry has now begun after Wednesday's bombshell news One of Hugh Freeze’s favorite phrases his first year at Auburn was “talent gap” — more specifically, the dire need for Freeze to address it, and ultimately, narrow it in comparison to the elite runs currently enjoyed by the Tigers' two biggest rivals. And Freeze hopes Wednesday’s bombshell news accelerates that process. Nick Saban is retiring, ending the most successful run in college football history at Alabama: six national championships and nine SEC titles. The phrase is often cliched, but it truly is the end of an era not only for the Crimson Tide, but also its in-state rival. Auburn not only watched Alabama go on a historic run under Saban, but also as the Crimson Tide pulled in elite recruiting classes; the two go hand-in-hand, of course. No one knows that better than Freeze, who watched Saban hit his prime while at Ole Miss, and has harped again and again at Auburn about the need to recruit closer to the level of Alabama — and Georgia, for that matter, which has built a powerhouse of its own under Kirby Smart. Freeze knows that's where he has to start in attacking the void left by Saban. A big domino quickly fell in the wake of Wednesday's news, as 5-star Alabama wide receiver commitment Ryan Williams backed off his pledge with the Tide. He'll sign next month, and Auburn has been right there in his recruitment since Freeze took over. There's probably no one Freeze wanted to call more after Saban retired. So just how much work is there to be done? For starters, every Alabama recruiting class since 2019 has been ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the country. Auburn — nor anyone else in college football, maybe with the exception of Georgia — can hope to even come close to replicating that kind of annual stockpiling of NFL-caliber players. Freeze is off to about as good a start as Auburn could have imagined, though. His first full recruiting class finished No. 7 nationally after the early signing period. With Williams, it would jump to No. 3 — behind only, you guessed it, Georgia and Alabama. But Auburn hasn't always needed comparable talent to take down the Tide — especially in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Even this season, with what Auburn certainly hopes is its least-skilled team of the Freeze era, the Tigers were tied with Georgia late in the fourth quarter, and were one play away from upsetting Saban and Alabama. And it was after Auburn’s agonizing, last-minute loss to Alabama on fourth-and-31 that Freeze — because of how close his team played its top two rivals this season — asserted that the Tigers aren't far away from being on the other end of those results. “We can close the gap pretty fast on the upper echelon of this conference,” Freeze said. Does that goal become easier to attain with Saban on his way out? That’s obviously the hope for Auburn and everyone else on a strange-feeling Wednesday in the world of college football. But Alabama will have its pick of what it deems to be the best coach in the country to take over. Alabama isn’t going anywhere. It may not win national championships right away with someone like Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, or whoever lands the job, but especially in the upcoming 12-team playoff era, it’d be foolish to expect the Crimson Tide to fall off a cliff in terms of national prominence. Those coaches, however, are not Nick Saban. It’s possible no one else in our lifetime ever will be — with seven national titles between Alabama and LSU, and double-digit wins every year since 2008. But for the first time in 17 years, Alabama feels mortal — to the rest of the college football world, at least. Auburn was never afraid to face Saban, and though five wins since 2007 seems like a small number, no other program had more success against Alabama under Saban. LSU also had five wins. There are plenty of SEC head coaches Gus Malzahn never beat as many times as he defeated Saban. Still, the Iron Bowl series has been grim for Auburn for the past 17 years. The Crimson Tide's current four-game winning streak is Alabama's longest over Auburn since ... right before Bear Bryant retired, when Alabama won nine straight. The Tigers won six of the next eight Iron Bowls after Bryant hung up the houndstooth. Freeze is nowhere near alone. There are 14 other SEC head coaches licking their chops Wednesday evening at the thought of filling the massive void left by Saban’s retirement. But from now on, the answer to the question, "Who was Auburn's coach when Nick Saban retired?" will be Freeze. And the next 11 months will be crucial in determining what kind of program Auburn can become in the aftermath. Jaylin Williams' hot hand drives Auburn's eight-game winning streak Williams is averaging 16 points on better than 66 percent shooting during Auburn's eight-game winning streak Jaylin Williams is the first to admit he’s not a young and spry student-athlete anymore. He’s joked this season about early tipoff times and how he doesn’t like rolling out of bed and going straight to Neville Arena. After Auburn’s 66-55 win over Texas A&M, Williams said he’s been waking up on the wrong side of the pillow lately — another installment in his tongue-in-cheek persona of the old grump of the team. “Before games I actually haven't been feeling well,” Williams said, as Bruce Pearl smirked sitting next to him. “I wake up in a bad mood — but it's working. Hopefully I wake up every morning in a bad mood and keep playing the way I'm playing.” Auburn certainly hopes whatever has gotten into Williams over the last month continues to surge for the fifth-year senior as SEC play trudges onward — because right now, it would certainly be a just argument to say Williams has been Auburn’s best player. And the Tigers needed him to be in Tuesday night’s cathartic win over the Aggies — a team that had been kryptonite for Auburn’s SEC success in recent seasons, including five of the last six games in the series, and three on Auburn’s home floor. Texas A&M’s tricky pressure defense on the perimeter led to some long and clunky halfcourt possession for Auburn, and Williams was key in breaking it open for opportunities, particularly near the basket. Pearl said it was well-executed slip-screens by Williams, which saw him cutting to the paint while his defender stayed pinned at the 3-point arc, that were a big reason why Williams was so effective. Williams missed his first two shots of the game — a hook shot and a 3-pointer — before seven straight makes from 2-point range, including a punishing hammer of a dunk on a breakaway play in transition that also included a foul on Texas A&M’s Andersson Garcia. Evidence: pic.twitter.com/jQbmYRfAnT — Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) January 10, 2024 The Tigers and Aggies were locked in a nail-biter down the stretch, and after a Tyrece Radford free throw, Auburn led by 4 approaching a minute remaining. Tre Donaldson, who ran point for Auburn in the final minutes Tuesday over starter Aden Holloway, let the shot clock run down close to 10 seconds before setting up the play. Williams met him at the arc and simply ran a pick-and-pop, and Texas A&M’s Jace Carter left Williams to double-team Donaldson, perhaps thinking the Aggies would rotate out to defend Williams late in the shot clock — or that Garcia, who followed Williams out to the 3-point line but switched to Donaldson during the screen — was accounting for Williams. Instead, Williams was wide-open. He had a similar open look from the wing a couple possessions before but hesitated to pull the trigger. But this time, he let it fly with no hesitation, burying a 3-pointer with 52 seconds left to put Auburn up by 7. Donaldson held up three fingers before Williams even released the shot. HIMMMMM?@iso__jaywill pic.twitter.com/I1KFJLzGl0 — Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) January 10, 2024 “I knew as soon as I caught the ball the next time, I was like, man, I’ve lost to these dudes too many times,” Williams thought to himself. “I've got to knock this down and seal the deal.” Williams scored 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting — and perhaps the best indication of how key he was in getting Auburn’s offense flowing was the fact that the Tigers assisted on all eight of his made baskets. “They switch a lot,” Williams said of the Aggies’ defense. “We knew the slips and those things were open. I trust my coaching staff and my teammates to make those plays. We knew they'd fly at balls and ball fakes and all those things. We knew if we moved the ball around, we knew good things were going to happen.” Sitting currently at career-highs this season in scoring, overall shooting percentage and 3-point percentage, Williams has scored at least 20 points four times during Auburn’s eight-game winning streak. He’s been hyper efficient from inside the arc, shooting 76.5 percent from 2-point range during that span, and has only committed 1.0 turnovers per game. By most metrics, especially scoring, it is the best stretch of his five-year college career. And Tuesday’s result gave Williams — who was already the winningest player in program history — his 100th career victory wearing orange and blue. “To me, it was just another shot,” Williams said. “I practice that shot all the time. Like before practice or after practice so it was just another shot for me. Obviously, it was big. Texas A&M had beat me up pretty well the last few years so it was good to make that shot. I had confidence in that one and it went in.” *** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more *** *** Get Auburn news straight to your inbox with the Auburn Undercover newsletter ***

247sports.com Cadillac Williams resigns from Auburn staff Jason Caldwell 5–6 minutes One of the top players in Auburn history and the guy that held things together at the end of the 2022 season following the firing of Bryan Harsin, running backs coach Cadillac Williams is no longer a part of Hugh Freeze’s staff after announcing his resignation on Thursday night in a statement. “After taking time to pray and reflect, I have made the decision to resign from my position with Auburn football to pursue other opportunities. I love Auburn, the players and AU family with all my heart, but this decision is what is best for me, my wife and sons. I am extremely grateful for the coaching opportunity given to me first by Coach Malzahn and most recently by Coach Freeze. These past five years on the Plains have been nothing short of incredible. “Auburn is and always will be a special part of my life.” War Eagle!” Freeze also had a statement following the announcement from Williams “We are incredibly appreciative of Carnell and what he’s done for the Auburn football program during his time on the coaching staff," Freeze said. "He led Auburn through a time of transition and is one of the program’s all-time greats. I know this wasn’t easy for him, but I respect his decision and wish him nothing but the best.” He becomes the most recent coaching change off Freeze’s first staff. Auburn has already announced the firing of offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery with defensive coordinator Ron Roberts expected to move to Florida. In the search for an offensive coordinator, as we have stated at Auburnundercover.com since before the bowl game loss to Maryland, Freeze is expected to run the Auburn offense and be the primary play caller for the Tigers this season. As Auburn’s quarterback coach in addition to coordinator, Montgomery is expected to be replaced by current analyst Kent Austin. A former quarterback at Ole Miss and player in the CFL, Austin has been the offensive coordinator at Ole Miss and most recently was the coordinator at Liberty with Freeze from 2019-2022. A name that could join him on Auburn’s staff is a familiar one, former Southern Miss standout and longtime Ole Miss assistant Derrick Nix. Originally from Attalla, Alabama, Nix has been at Ole Miss since 2008 where he’s served as the running backs coach and also coached wide receivers in addition to being the co-offensive coordinator. Nix and Freeze worked together from 2012-2016 when Freeze was in Oxford as the head coach of the Rebels. On the Auburn staff since 2019, Williams has been part of three different staffs on the Plains. Most recently it was as the running backs coach and associate head coach under Freeze. Last season he helped Jarquez Hunter to 909 yards despite missing a game. For his career, Hunter has 2,177 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. His rushing total is 18th all-time at Auburn. Under Williams’ tutelage in 2020, freshman running back Tank Bigsby was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year and Associated Press SEC Newcomer of the Year after leading all freshmen in the conference with 834 rushing yards. Bigsby was the first Auburn freshman in school history to rush for three consecutive 100-yard games and his 834 yards were the second most all-time at Auburn by a rookie. During his first season in 2019, the Tigers posted five 100-yard rushing games and D.J. Williams earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his performance against LSU. In two seasons, Williams’ backs have tallied nine 100-yard games and three SEC weekly honors. As a player at Auburn, Williams helped lead Auburn to an undefeated season in 2004 while earning All-America honors that year. The 2005 NFL Rookie of the Year, Williams had a seven-year NFL career before entering the coaching ranks. A native of Gadsden, Alabama, and product of Etowah High School, Williams finished his Auburn career (2001-04) with 3,831 yards on 741 attempts with 45 touchdowns. He broke the Auburn career record of most running attempts, passing Joe Cribbs, and most touchdowns scored, passing Bo Jackson, while finishing second in total rushing yards and all-purpose yards. As a senior in 2004, Williams helped lead the Tigers to one of the best seasons in program history, winning an SEC Championship en route to a perfect 13-0 season and a Sugar Bowl victory. He led Auburn in rushing with 1,165 yards and 12 touchdowns while tallying 1,718 all-purpose yards. He earned All-America honors, was the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, and named to the All-SEC team. In his four seasons at Auburn, Williams earned nine SEC Player of the Week honors, the most in league history. During his time on the Plains, the Tigers were 37-14 and won three SEC Western Division titles (2001, ‘02, ‘04). He remains as Auburn’s No. 2 all-time rushing and is the Tigers’ career leader in rushing attempts and rushing touchdowns. The fifth pick overall pick of the 2005 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Williams was named the NFL Rookie of the Year after leading all rookies in rushing yards with 1,178, while posting six 100-yard rushing games in 14 starts. Williams spent six seasons with Tampa Bay before spending his final season in 2011 with the St. Louis Rams.

i would love to know why he is gone.no one is talking............

somehow i suspect this picture is not photo shopped

Ryan Williams to Auburn? Expert picks are trending towards the Tigers Taylor Jones Thu, January 11, 2024 at 6:00 AM CST·1 min read Five-star wide receiver Ryan Williams backed off his pledge to Alabama on Wednesday following the stunning announcement of Nick Saban’s retirement. The news of Williams’ de-commitment could be a great sign for the Auburn Tigers, who want to complete the “The Freeze Five” puzzle and may have a shot to reel in the missing piece. Williams announced in December that he would visit Auburn during the weekend of Feb. 3. Does Auburn have a shot to land his commitment? Two experts from 247Sports have recently submitted crystal ball predictions favoring Auburn. Josh Edwards of CatPause and national recruiting expert Bud Elliot both predict that the Tigers will land Williams with 6-out-of-10 confidence. Williams re-classified to the 2024 class in December and will announce his college plans on Feb. 7, which begins the spring signing window. He was set to officially visit Alabama on Feb. 20, but it is unclear if he still plans to take the trip to Tuscaloosa. He will also visit Texas on Jan. 27. Williams, a wide receiver from Saraland High School in metro Mobile, is the No. 12 overall recruit for the 2024 cycle according to 247Sports, and is the No. 4 overall wide receiver for the class. He is the No. 2 recruit from the state of Alabama, trailing only Auburn signee Cam Coleman for the top spot. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__ Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

i am talking about the infighting backstabbing. i thought that was obvious.

have a great one folks!

al.com Auburn’s Hugh Freeze reacts to news of Nick Saban’s retirement Updated: Jan. 10, 2024, 8:44 p.m.|Published: Jan. 10, 2024, 5:08 p.m. ~2 minutes Alabama head coach Nick Saban talk with Mississippi head coach Hugh Freeze before the start of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) AP After 17 years at Alabama and six national championships, Nick Saban is retiring, ESPN’s Chris Low first reported Wednesday afternoon. For Auburn first-year head coach Hugh Freeze, news of Saban’s retirement doesn’t just mean a rival head coach is retiring — it also means a longtime friend and mentor of Freeze’s is retiring. “Hard to express how much Nick and Ms. (Terry) have meant to Jill and I as friends and you have forever set the mark for many to chase in this profession,” Freeze wrote in a post to X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter. “Enjoy retirement!!” Back in July, as Freeze returned to SEC Media Days in Nashville for the first time since his bumpy exit from Ole Miss in 2016, the first-year Auburn head coach recognized Saban as “the king.” “I want to measure ourselves against the gold standard,” Freeze said of comparing Auburn to Alabama during SEC Media Days. Meanwhile, when asked of the new coach down on The Plains, Saban was complimentary of Freeze. “When the game is over, you’re still friends and that’s the way it will be probably with this,” Saban said of Freeze during SEC Media Days. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

al.com 'The bad man is gone': Auburn student reacts to Nick Saban's retirement Updated: Jan. 10, 2024, 8:16 p.m.|Published: Jan. 10, 2024, 7:06 p.m. 4–5 minutes Auburn Football ‘The bad man is gone’: Auburn students take to Toomer’s Corner to celebrate Nick Saban’s retirement Time-lapse: Auburn fans roll Toomer's Corner as news of Nick Saban's retirement spreads Luke Leatherman, a freshman aviation management student at Auburn, had just returned to his room from the university’s student center when the notification came across his phone. A YouTuber he follows on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, penned a post saying “An era is ending.” “I looked and I see Saban’s retiring and I just screamed in my room and said, ‘What happened?’,” Leatherman said. “The bad man is gone. Finally, after 17 long years, we can finally be rid of him.” For Leatherman, Wednesday’s news of Saban’s retirement felt like a win on all accounts. “I’ve waited almost as long as I’ve been alive for this moment,” Leatherman said as he stood beneath the rolled oak trees on Toomer’s Corner, roll of toilet paper in hand. For Leatherman, a lifelong Auburn fan, Saban has been at the root of plenty of heartaches in late November. At the same time, Leatherman understands he’s watched history unfold. “I must say... I don’t want to say I hate him. I have a lot respect for him,” Leatherman said. “He’s done a lot for the game of college football. He’s proven he’s one of, if not the greatest, college football coaches of all time. I just wish it was for a different school.” The feeling of wishing Saban coached at a different school might’ve come at an all-time high for Leatherman this past November as the Crimson Tide beat the Tigers on a last-second touchdown on 4th-and-31 to come from behind and win the game. “Fortunately and unfortunately, yes,” Leatherman said when asked if he was at Jordan-Hare Stadium for this past Iron Bowl, adding that it was the fourth Alabama-Auburn game he’d been able to attend in person. However, unlike many of his peers at Auburn, Leatherman has had the luxury of witnessing Auburn knock off Saban and the Crimson Tide twice. Both times, Leatherman rushed the field with Tigers’ fans. “I really do wish it for my friends,” Leatherman said. “Or especially a lot of the freshmen that have come over. That was their first Iron Bowl. For them and what could’ve been, it was an amazing Iron Bowl experience. But what could’ve been the best day of their lives... it turned into that.” But in true Auburn fan-fashion, Leatherman managed to find a silver lining in November’s narrow defeat. “Hey, in hindsight, when you look at it, all it did was it prevented Georgia from going on a three-peat,” Leatherman joked. After learning of Wednesday’s news, Leatherman immediately texted a group of his classmates from one of his aviation classes and asked they come to Toomer’s Corner and bring toilet paper. Leatherman extended the invite on Auburn’s university-wide Snapchat story before arriving to Toomer’s Corner with a handful of friends, only to see that others had already taken to the iconic oaks with toilet paper before their arrival. “This is a time to celebrate,” Leatherman said. “This is a win — not just for Auburn, but for college football in general.” And how do Auburn fans celebrate wins? By chucking toilet paper at the oak trees on the corner of College Street and Magnolia Avenue. “So War Damn Eagle,” Leatherman said as he cocked back his right arm, which was armed with a roll of toilet paper. “And Bama, we’ll see you next year,” he added as he let another piece of toilet paper fly. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

si.com Auburn Briefing: Brian Battie's return could mean a lot for the running backs room Zac Blackerby ~2 minutes Brian Battie pulled his name from the transfer portal. Unless something changes, Auburn is set to enter into 2024 with the same running back room as a year ago. Entering 2023, Auburn's deepest position was running back and the fact that Auburn will bring back Brian Battie after he tested the waters in the transfer portal, could mean a ton in an offense that may still need to run the ball a fair amount. Battie joins Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston, and Jeremiah Cobb in a stacked running backs room that was a top-five rushing attack in the SEC. Auburn was fifth in the SEC in rushing yards (2457), fifth in total rushing attempts (513), and fourth in rushing yards per game (189). Depending on play calling and scheme, Auburn should be in a position to run more plays in 2024. Latest Podcast On today's Locked On Auburn, we look at why Chris Kiffin should be the favorite to be Auburn's next defensive coordinator. His relationship with Hugh Freeze, recruiting history, and time in the NFL should be a huge plus in what he could bring to the Auburn staff if the Tigers went in that direction. You can check the show out below, on the Locked On Auburn YouTUbe page, or wherever you get your podcasts. Recruiting Pages to Bookmark

auburnwire.usatoday.com Five-star WR Caleb Cunningham schedules visit to Auburn JD McCarthy 1–2 minutes Five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham is one of the most coveted prospects in the 2025 recruiting cycle, boasting over 30 scholarship offers from all across the country. The Mississippi native is a major target for Auburn and Marcus Davis and they will get a chance to host him on an unofficial visit later this month. According to On3’s Chad Simmons, he will be visiting the Plains on Jan. 20. That will be his third visit to Auburn, including to watch the Tigers take on Ole Miss. Cunningham is the No. 10 overall player and No. 2 wide receiver in the On3 industry ranking. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder is also the No. 1 player from Mississippi. Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class is off to a great start, ranking No. 7 in the country but the Tigers are still looking for their first wide receiver commitment. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15

pay article but the headlines tell the story. 247sports.com 5star Auburn WR target Ryan Williams backs off Alabama pledge Christian Clemente 4–5 minutes

we both are crazy.................lol

busted! poor ol aubes just trying to do the best he can. like how i talk about myself in third person? lol you are so right. i surrender to your wrath sir.do your very worst. i will carry the scars of a misunderstood martyr............i knew i should have called it the ketchup cup wildcat.......

al.com Nick Saban retiring as Alabama football coach Updated: Jan. 10, 2024, 6:52 p.m.|Published: Jan. 10, 2024, 4:19 p.m. 11–14 minutes And then it was over. Nick Saban’s retiring as the University of Alabama football coach, turning a long inevitability into a stark reality and sending shockwaves throughout the college football world. The university confirmed the retirement at 6:39 p.m. CT in a statement with a quote from Saban more than two hours after ESPN reported the news at 4:06 p.m. It ends arguably the greatest run in college football history where the once famously-nomadic Saban finally planted roots and rebuilt a decaying empire. A 27-20 overtime loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl semifinal was ultimately Saban’s final act as a college football coach, just over a week before handing the task of replacing him to athletics director Greg Byrne. By reviving a struggling Crimson Tide program -- winning 80.6% of his games and six of his seven national titles -- Saban placed his name among the all-time greats. That includes Paul “Bear” Bryant, the Alabama coach from six whose national title mark Saban passed in 2020. Where there’s understandable sadness from Huntsville to Mobile, a collective sigh of relief comes from outside the state border. Since arriving in 2007 from the Miami Dolphins, Saban recalibrated the entire sport. His quick rise -- reaching No. 1 in Year 2 and winning the first national title a year later -- wreaked havoc on rivals and created unrealistic expectations for other rebuilding powerhouses. Auburn’s been through five coaches in Saban’s tenure. Tennessee’s had six. And LSU, three. The expectation to land the next Saban became unrealistic practically everywhere and the numbers show why they were chasing this success. Saban’s final tallies include the following: 297 wins. Four Heisman Trophy winners Ten SEC championships Eight playoff appearances in 10 years since its inception. Add it up and Saban’s not just in the same conversation as Bryant, he’s arguably past the legend of another era. His teams maintained a level of consistency unmatched even in Bryant’s prime. After going 7-6 in his first season, Saban teams won no fewer than 10 games for the next 16 years. After playing in the Independence Bowl in Year 1, Alabama never played in a game below the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1. Only four times after that initial season did Alabama enter the postseason without a shot at winning a national title. And when the Crimson Tide won the 2020 crown, Saban passed Bryant for the most national championships won by a single coach. To celebrate the totality, one must return to the beginning. Saban, then the Miami Dolphins coach in late 2006, denied any interest in leaving the NFL for the college game. Multiple fiery news conferences saw Saban smack down reports linking him to the Crimson Tide job. Meanwhile, his agent Jimmy Sexton and Alabama athletics director Mal Moore were working on a contract in early January 2007. Saban eventually relented and met with Moore. What Greg Bryne and Alabama president said about replacing Nick SabanJan. 10, 2024, 7:30p.m. At Alabama sports bars, fans ponder life after Nick Saban: ‘It sucks, is what it does’Jan. 10, 2024, 6:32p.m. Nick Saban running against Tommy Tuberville? Alabama Democratic Party hints it wants coach for SenateJan. 10, 2024, 6:30p.m. Katie Britt, Kay Ivey, Tuberville weigh in on Nick Saban’s retirement: ‘One legend now towers above the rest’Jan. 10, 2024, 6:30p.m. Before he replaces Nick Saban, here are 5 notable hires from Greg Byrne’s careerJan. 10, 2024, 6:28p.m. On Jan. 3, 2007, the deal was done. The scene at the Tuscaloosa airport on Jan. 4 was national news as a rabid fanbase descended on the tarmac to greet its savior. Clips of Saban’s introductory news conference held the next day were played throughout his tenure as he sketched a blueprint of the program, they planned to reawaken a sleeping giant. Still, there was a touch of skepticism surrounding just how long Saban planned to dedicate to this project. At the time, he was viewed as a serial job hopper -- one who spent no more than five years in any position before being lured away for greener pastures. Was he a lifer or a mercenary? “A lot of this is about legacy,” Saban told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen in an interview strolling through the Walk of Champions statues. “I’d love to leave a legacy as an outstanding college football coach as all the people we’ve seen coming up this walk has done. This would certainly be something … to win the national championship at LSU and then win national championship at another SEC institution like the University of Alabama, I think would establish a legacy that is pretty unique.” He certainly followed through on that but questions at his opening news conference persisted. “Do you know where Lake Burton is?” Saban said in response to a question about his next move. “It’s in north Georgia … that’s where I go in the summertime. That’s where I like it. That’s my next stop. So as long as people around here are committed to trying to win, I’m going to be the coach here. At some point in time, maybe somebody else can do it better. If that time comes, that’s where I’m going. Lake Burton. They don’t have a football team there.” Saban ultimately followed through on that pledge but there were tense times along the way. That came to a peak in December 2013 after Alabama’s bid for a third straight national title ended in the most horrific way possible, the infamous Kick Six loss in the Iron Bowl. Texas, meanwhile, was sparing no expense after forcing out Mack Brown four years after playing Alabama for the national championship. There was smoke, rumors and solid reporting linking Saban to a possible move to Austin but he eventually landed on a new contract in Tuscaloosa. He considered it a hard reset, like they were starting over in Year 1 with the Crimson Tide. Part of that process was modernizing the offense after seeing fresh faces like Gus Malzahn, Hugh Freeze and other purveyors of the hurry-up, no-huddle schemes challenge and then defeat Saban’s traditionally dominant defenses. To fix his offense, Saban stunned the college football world by hiring former USC and Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin. Personality-wise, the polar opposite of Saban, Kiffin spent three seasons retooling the offense with quarterbacks Blake Sims, Jake Coker and Jalen Hurts. Alabama made the playoff all three seasons, winning the 2015 title before falling just short in the championship rematch with Clemson a year later. Saban’s legacy will also include cultivating coaching staffs that either rehabbed big-name talent or produced it outright. The coaching tree is topped by Kirby Smart, the defensive coordinator from 2008-15 who went on to win two national titles and counting after leaving for his alma mater, Georgia in 2016. Other former Alabama assistants who went on to big careers include Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and Kiffin now at Ole Miss. Two former assistants became Florida head coaches -- Jim McElwain and Billy Napier while Jeremy Pruitt coached Tennessee, Mario Cristobal led Oregon and Miami. Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator in 2017, went on to be the New York Giants head coach while his successor, Mike Locksley took the Maryland head job. The production of NFL level talent will also be a tentpole in Saban’s Alabama legacy. A total of 120 of his Crimson Tide players were drafted including 44 first-rounders. No class will be remembered more than 2018 when a record 12 players were selected -- four in the first round. So much of that success can be traced back to the recruiting trail that Saban famously owned. Beginning with the Class of 2008 stocked with the likes of Julio Jones, Mark Ingram and Dont’a Hightower, Alabama became the most consistently dominant force in the recruiting world. It won more than 10 recruiting titles, depending on the recruiting service surveyed and never fell out of the top 10 in Saban’s tenure. The 2017 class will also go down in history for including Tua Tagovailoa, DeVonta Smith, Najee Harris, Jerry Jeudy, Mac Jones among others. It was a big part of national titles in 2017 and 2020 before moving onto the NFL. That 2020 title was memorable for many reasons, not just the fact it was ultimately Saban’s last. Played at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saban navigated an all-SEC schedule in dominant fashion. After a scare of a false positive before playing Georgia early in the season, Saban was diagnosed with the virus the week of the Iron Bowl and had to watch Alabama’s 42-13 win over Auburn from his Tuscaloosa-area home instead of the sideline. A 52-24 CFP title-game win over Ohio State was a coronation for the most talented offensive team in Saban’s tenure, one led by coordinator Sarkisian who left for the Texas job immediately following the win. Alabama, in a relative sense, struggled over the next two years in regaining the mental edge that made that 2020 team a personal favorite, Saban later said. Losses at Texas A&M, Tennessee and LSU over the next two seasons were disheartening for those who remembered the dominant teams of the past. There were bright spots like the 2021 SEC championship game where Alabama dominated No. 1 Georgia to make another playoff appearance. That high didn’t last as the Bulldogs got revenge and Smart finally took down his mentor a month later in the CFP championship game in Indianapolis. Then in 2023, Alabama again upset the top-ranked Bulldogs in the SEC championship to sneak into the final four-team playoff. All of this was done with the latest round of non-football challenges thrown the sport’s way. The long overdue opening of Name, Image and Likeness rights for athletes in 2021 added a layer of complication for coaches and administrators. Add in the loosening of transfer regulations and coaches were navigating what felt like a suddenly lawless marketplace. Saban had taken a cautious approach to the changes, agreeing with the move to allow players to benefit from their NIL while warning of the unintended consequences it would have in recruiting. Like in so many other matters, Saban the politician used his voice and platform to push his perspective in hopes of influencing decision makers. This, however, was a tangled web of legal and legislative matters that reached all the way to Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. That’s where Saban and other leaders went in the summer of 2023 to lobby lawmakers in another evolution for the product of the West Virginia coal country. From a scrapy, championship-winning high school quarterback to an undersized college defensive back at Kent State to the highest levels of coaching, Saban’s story’s taken its share of twists and turns. From a job-hopping, hot-headed villain of fanbases across the country to the ultimate savior and empire builder in Tuscaloosa, Saban’s found his legacy. After 17 years as Alabama’s head football coach, there’s no denying Saban’s place in history. The most consistently dominant coach of his era, Saban made his case as the greatest college football coach to ever walk the sidelines. Two hundred and 97 wins. Seven national titles. One dynasty. And now it’s over. This breaking news story will be updated. Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

it would be hard for me to trust an agent.

do you think it is possible that the PTB made suggestions to freeze? he might have been encouraged to except some guys he might not have been his first choice? it happens a lot from what i understand.