Remembering Nick Saban’s puppy metaphor, as Kalen DeBoer recruits at Alabama | Toppmeyer

Seventeen years ago, Nick Saban gave us one of the first of his many metaphors we’d come to expect from the great Alabama coach and philosopher.

Saban had just finished his first Alabama signing class with a rush of 11th-hour commitments. It offered a peek at Saban’s special weapon – his recruiting chops – that sparked his dynasty in Tuscaloosa. Saban didn’t hide his pleasure in signing a class that surged into the top 10 of national recruiting rankings. But, he offered a word of caution.

“When you buy a puppy dog, you don’t know whether he’s going to grow into the world’s greatest hunting dog or not,” Saban said after national signing day in February 2007. “That’s a little bit what recruiting is like.”

Saban’s dogs could hunt. He and his staff knew not only how to recruit talent, but how to nurture and develop it.

Your turn, Kalen DeBoer.

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Saban gave his successor a head start by gift-wrapping a No. 2-ranked recruiting class that DeBoer deftly polished off Wednesday on national signing day. DeBoer added a signature from five-star wide receiver Ryan Williams, who initially committed to Saban, then recommitted to DeBoer.

This signing class restores order after Alabama endured a tough January. After Saban retired, talented Tide players stampeded for the transfer portal. That’s the uncomfortable but expected start to a tenure nowadays. Rarely, though, do coaching changes come with a recruiting class as loaded as this one.

Saban’s staff deserves credit for assembling this class, but the December signees and unsigned players like Williams could have cut and run after Saban’s retirement. National letters of intent are as weak as a restraints dunked in acid. But, only two December signees turned heel on Alabama. Other recruits, like Williams, decided to give DeBoer a shot. If they don’t like what they sample, they can always transfer.

“I believe in his offense,” Williams told the Tuscaloosa News.

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And I believe DeBoer can turn talented pups into hunting dogs. He’s proven his coaching acumen and player development skills. He inherited a Washington program in a rut and engineered a warp-speed turnaround, winning 25 games in two seasons. The man can hunt.

My lingering question is, can DeBoer attract more of the best pups in 2025? That test begins now.

Other recruiting thoughts:

∎ The NCAA is investigating Tennessee and whether the Vols ran afoul of the NCAA’s meager guidelines governing NIL, including its mandate that NIL deals can’t be used as recruiting inducements. Tennessee’s attorney general is fighting back with an antitrust lawsuit that alleges the NCAA’s NIL guidelines are out of bounds with the Sherman Antitrust Act. Seems like a solid legal strategy, but maybe the AG should throw this in: Tennessee’s latest recruiting class ranks 13th nationally. Not bad, but no better than the range where UT normally ranked before NIL. If the Vols are shelling out inducements, the recruiting rankings don’t reflect it. Think a judge would buy that argument?

∎ Steve Sarkisian continues to show he’s the full package at Texas. Alabama fans know Sarkisian can operate an offense. The Longhorns’ No. 6-ranked recruiting class is further evidence he can attract talent. This marks Sark’s third straight top-six recruiting class. Is it any wonder why I think Texas will smoothly transition to the SEC?

∎ When Kirby Smart last spoke about his recruiting haul in December, he unceremoniously described the class as the byproduct of “thorough” recruiting. Ho hum, business as usual, another best-in-nation class for the nation’s No. 1 recruiter. NIL and transfers altered the landscape, but they didn’t change that this sport, at its core, is all about acquiring and developing talent. And Smart is the industry’s standard, particularly now that Saban is hunting fairways.

∎ Auburn’s recruiting struggles started and ended with Bryan Harsin. Hugh Freeze’s second recruiting class ranks No. 10 nationally. Importantly, Freeze’s class included five-star wide receiver Cam Coleman and four-star quarterback Walker White, both of whom are national top-50 prospects by 247Sports. Wide receiver and quarterback were persistent deficiencies for Auburn the past few seasons. These pups must hunt touchdowns.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

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