Alabama
The Saban 250: The Players who made the Biggest Impact at Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It was the greatest run in college football history, and the dynasties of dynasties.
When Nick Saban left the Miami Dolphins for the University of Alabama football program in 2007, his critics and detractors didn’t hold back. They questioned the declaration that he wanted to be a college coach, predicted his stay with the Crimson Tide would be brief, and waited for the day they could say “I told you so.”
It never happened. During his just second year, Saban’s new program was in the SEC Championship Game. A year later it won the national championship, the first of six during the magical era, giving the coach the all-time lead with seven.
But that was only the beginning. Consider a sampling of what his players accomplished:
• 133 players selected in the NFL draft, including a record 44 in the first round. For 16 straight years, the Crimson Tide had at least one player selected in the first round, topping the remarkable string set by Miami (1995-2008).
• 46 selections as consensus first-team All-Americans, by 41 different players. The 41 along would tie for the 17thmost by any program in NCAA history.
• 109 first-team All-SEC selections, with another 68 second-team honors, 175 total over 17 seasons. That’s nearly half of the starters of given team for an average.
We could sit here and tell you that from 2008, until this last season when overtime was needed to eliminate the Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff, Alabama was ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll at some point of every season — 15 years. Previously, the longest streak was seven years (Miami, 1986-92).
However, Saban’s greatest asset, on top of being a game-planner, decision-making and maybe the best recruiter of all-time, was as a teacher. To truly put a cap on what the coach accomplished, we’ve gone back and updated our list of the top 100 Crimson Tide players during his era, initially composed in 2020. Only now it’s 250 players, which will be released as a series prior to SEC Media Days in July.
We knew with the Saban Top 100, it was anything but the final word. That subsequent season, DeVonta Smith won the program’s third Heisman Trophy, Mac Jones posted the strongest single-season passing numbers in program history, and Najee Harris was on his way to becoming Alabama’s all-time rushing king.
But now Saban has coached his last game, so at least the active body of work is completed. It’s time to go back and re-rank the players. This time, we’re listing the top 200 in order: 95 offensive and defensive players, plus 10 on special teams.
Circling back to those draft, All-American and all-conference numbers, they’re a very strong indication of where the cutoff line was drawn.
Here’s how the rankings were composed:
As for the final 50, the first three days of the series will be a sort of “players to remember” section, with statistics often taking a back seat in importance. It includes those who made significant contributions in a variety of ways, plus some fan favorites. There will be 20 offensive and defensive players, along with 10 from special teams.
The initial version of this project began with: ”Those reading this entire series will probably have the same reaction over and over again …‘That guy should be higher up on the list.’ And the person will be correct, nearly every time.”
That’s the point. Enjoy, and have fun both reminiscing and debating.
Justin Britt, G, 2004-07
Began his Crimson Tide career as a defensive lineman, making 12 tackles, including two for a loss and a sack. However, he moved to the offensive side and was the starting left guard in 2007
Marlon Davis, G, 2007-08
Two-year starter at right guard at the beginning of the Nick Saban era, when the Crimson Tide was very much a run-first team
Darrian Dalcourt, OL, 2019-23
Dalcourt played in 39 games for the Crimson Tide and was considered at least a part-time starter for three seasons while also dealing with injuries. He started 11 games at center in 2021, five games in 2022, and focused primarily on playing guard during his final season and again made five starts
Gehrig Dieter, WR, 2016
His contributions didn’t always show on the stat sheet, but Dieter went from SMU, to being having a 1,000-yard season at Bowling Green, to being a starting during his lone season at Alabama. He had 15 receptions for 214 yards and four touchdowns. And yes, he’s named after Lou Gehrig
CJ Dippre, TE, 2023*
Transferred from Maryland for what would be Nick Saban’s final season and won the starting job. Caught 11 passes for 187 yards and made key blocks on the outside to aid the running game
Robert Foster, WR, 2014-17
A shoulder injury snuffed out his promising start to the 2015 season, but he came back and earned a starting role his senior year. Finished career with 35 receptions for 389 yards and three touchdowns
Brandon Gibson, WR, 2009-11
Won a starting role his final season, finished his career with 20 receptions for 204 yards and a touchdown at Ole Miss. Also returned a blocked kick for a touchdown
Baron Huber, FB, 2007-09
He may have caught just two passes, and didn’t have a single carry during the Nick Saban era, but was Mark Ingram’s fullback when he won the Heisman Trophy
Korren Kirven, OL, 2013-16
Started off as a defensive lineman and switched over to guard for his final two seasons. Played in 26 career games, including all 15 in 2016, when he started the last six games of his collegiate career
Kendrick Law, WR, 2022-23*
In two years, he’s played in 24 games and made 23 receptions for 238 yards, while also playing a key role on special teams. Last season he also had 17 kick returns for 405 yards and made two tackles. What we really like about him, though, is his downfield blocking
Seth McLaughlin, C, 2020-2023
Moved up to starting center near the end of the 2021 season, and played in 11 games during the 2022 season, making eight starts and taking 913 snaps. Snap issues plagued him in 2023, and McLaughlin subsequently transferred, but the 24 career starts for the Crimson Tide were anything but inconsequential
Alfred McCullough, 2009-11
Guys like McCullough never get anywhere near the credit they deserve. The versatile lineman switched over from the defensive side was like the ultimate sixth man who could, and often did, comfortably play at either offensive guard or tackle spot. He played in 31 games for the Crimson Tide
Jam Miller, RB, 2022-23*
Through first two seasons ground out 424 rushing yards on 74 carries with three touchdowns, plus four receptions for 72 yards and another score. The really fun thing for Alabama fans was that they could tell he was just getting started
Richard Mullaney, WR, 2015
The 6-3 receiver played just one season in Tuscaloosa after transferring from Oregon State, but won a starting role and tallied 38 receptions for 390 yards and five touchdowns
Amari Niblack, TE, 2022-23
Became a receiving threat by averaging 16.3 yards per catch during his two seasons in Tuscaloosa. Had 20 catches for 327 yards and four touchdowns before transferring at the end of his sophomore year
Chris Owens, OL, 2017-21
A rare offensive lineman who could truly play anywhere up front and played multiple positions for the Crimson Tide. Made 20 career starts, including 12 games at right tackle and one at center in 2021
Jaeden Roberts, G, 2022-23*
Moved into the starting lineup as a redshirt sophomore during Nick Saban’s final season and continued to improve. For example, against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, he had a game- and career-high six knockdown blocks while not surrendering a quarterback hit or a pressure (he missed just one assignment)
Cam Sims, WR, 2014-17
Made a career out of defying naysayers, the 6-5 receiver played in 41 games and made 34 receptions for 405 yards. Maybe his biggest play was the touchdown-saving tackle on punt coverage against Georgia in the national title game
Brian Vogler, TE, 2011-14
He wasn’t the biggest threat in the passing game, but Vogler was a three-year starter who made 17 receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns
Matt Womack, OL, 2016-19
Earned the starting right tackle job as a sophomore in 2017, but then ran into injury problems. The versatile, 6-7 lineman made 15 career starts with 14 at right tackle in 2017 and one at right guard in 2019
The Saban Legacy: By the numbers
Tomorrow: 20 Defensive Players Not to Forget …
In certain outposts throughout the South, it’s pronounced “progrum,” not program.
However you say it, the SEC footprint houses some of the most celebrated and iconic college football programs in all the land, complete with rabid fanbases that breathe college football all year. Games are played in towering cathedrals where the crowds partake in what’s almost a religious experience on fall Saturdays.
When evaluating the SEC’s programs, recent results should be considered, but rankings also should reflect historical success, traditions, blue-blood status and fan support.
Here’s how I rank the SEC’s programs, top to bottom:
Alabama football is more than a program, and it’s bigger than an international brand. It’s a way of life. The Script A represents tradition and excellence. Alabama fans are plugged in year-round to their favorite sport, and expectations rarely dip. Coaches who thrive in T-Town are immortalized in bronze. The GOAT conversation runs through Alabama. Is it Nick Saban or Bear Bryant? Either way, it’s an Alabama coach.
2. Oklahoma
The crimson and cream have blue blood. Among SEC schools, Oklahoma trails only Alabama for all-time winning percentage. Double-digit win seasons remain the standard, although the 2000 Sooners remain OU’s last national champion. Oklahoma ruled the 1950s under Bud Wilkinson, then ran back their dominance with Barry Switzer’s wishbone in the 1970s and 80s. Seven Heisman winners point to the program’s star power.
3. Texas
Texas’ deep war chest suits the NIL era, but don’t mistake the Longhorns for the nouveau riche. They’re a traditional power that emerged from an inexcusable, prolonged slumber in between Mack Brown and Steve Sarkisian. Texas enjoyed its heyday in the Southwest Conference under Darrell Royal, but the Longhorns also showed their horns during the Brown era. They belong among the heavy hitters.
The Bulldogs don’t crack the list of blue bloods, but Kirby Smart made them look like one. Georgia has seized a place of persistent power that was long considered possible, because of the school’s location within fertile recruiting terrain. Smart flawlessly implemented Saban’s recruit-and-develop blueprint. We’re witnessing Georgia’s glory days, decades after Herschel Walker and Vince Dooley supplied the previous peak in the early 1980s.
5. LSU
LSU is the only program to have three coaches win a national championship in this millennium. Lane Kiffin could become the fourth. Money poured in to fund his roster. LSU’s standards are such that Brian Kelly got fired after winning 71% of his games. In-state talent gravitates to LSU, but the Tigers also built a national brand, and a night game at Tiger Stadium is a college football mecca.
6. Tennessee
Few states can match Tennessee’s unrelenting vigor for college football. Gen. Robert Neyland put the Vols on the map and got his name on the stadium. Johnny Majors earned a place of adoration. Phillip Fulmer’s Vols flourished in the 1990s. Since Fulmer, Tennessee’s ravenous fans infrequently had a chance to say, “It feels like ’98.” For too long, it felt more like dysfunction, but Tennessee recaptured respectability under Josh Heupel.
Few individuals mean more to a program than what Steve Spurrier means to Florida. He revolutionized the Gators from an also-ran into one of the premier programs of the 1990s. The Head Ball Coach branded The Swamp and gave the Gators an identity. They became SEC championship game regulars. Urban Meyer injected more glory with two titles. Florida lacks the consistency and history of some higher-ranked programs, but its peaks are just as lofty.
These are dark days for Auburn. The Tigers endured five consecutive losing seasons, their bleakest period since the late 1940s. Auburn’s loyal fan base deserves better. Recent woes aside, this accomplished program achieved undefeated seasons under three coaches since the 1990s. From Pat Sullivan to Bo Jackson to Cam Newton, Auburn produced decorated stars. Now, it just needs to pull out of this funk.
Trivia question: When did Texas A&M last win a national championship? Answer: 1939. The Aggies possess the financial resources, fan support and recruiting location to be top shelf, but greatness stubbornly eludes them. R.C. Slocum’s Aggies ruled the Southwest Conference in the early 1990s. Is it time for a fresh set of glory days? Mike Elko’s early returns suggest it’s safe for the Aggies to dream of ascending to their potential.
10. Mississippi
Those old enough to witness Johnny Vaught remember Ole Miss as a powerhouse. Those who watched Archie Manning remember the Rebels with a superstar. Then, Kiffin and Trinidad Chambliss made it so everyone can remember Ole Miss as a playoff team with a premier quarterback. Kiffin treated the Rebels like they were small by leaving for LSU, but not before spawning an uprising that showed the school’s potential in the NIL era.
Arkansas piled up Southwest Conference hardware under Frank Broyles, along with an undefeated season. The conference crowns ceased after Arkansas left in 1991 for the SEC, where there’s been more famine than feast for the Hogs. Even in the SEC, the Razorbacks enjoyed a few highlight seasons, but those uprisings are fading into the rearview mirror. The Hogs need another Darren McFadden.
The Tigers tout seven seasons of double-digit-wins in the past 20 years. They transitioned to the SEC better than many expected. Gary Pinkel became the best thing to happen to Mizzou since Dan Devine. Eliah Drinkwitz has been a gift, too. Anyone who’s a millennial or older can remember the program’s highlight moments, even if they never resulted in a Big 12 or SEC title.
13. Mississippi State
Dan Mullen and Mike Leach did it well for Mississippi State, but Starkville remains one of the toughest SEC outposts to win big or to sustain success. Jackie Sherrill’s 74 wins are the most for any Mississippi State coach. He needed 13 seasons to reach that number. You can’t take the cowbells away from Mississippi State, nor its 15-12 record in bowl games.
14. South Carolina
Spurrier’s successful 11-year run at South Carolina ranks among the best program-building feats in modern history. He won 11 games three seasons in a row, and his teams finished ranked in the top 10 each year. The Gamecocks never won 11 games before Spurrier, and they’ve never hit double digits since he left. Aside from Spurrier’s tenure, the peaks are few and far between.
A program that employed Bear Bryant (and finished 11-1 under the Bear in 1950) can’t rank last on this list, so here we arrive at Kentucky. What can we say about the Wildcats? Well, they own a winning record against Vanderbilt, and they occasionally aren’t as bad as you’d expect a basketball school to be. Mark Stoops got them to a respectable level, but was unable to keep things afloat.
16. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt’s 10 wins last year register as its single-season record, so you could say the program’s never looked better. The less said, the better, about much of Vanderbilt’s history — unless you want to discuss the 1904 season. That year, Vanderbilt went 9-0 and outscored its competition 474-4. Glory days.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
ENTERPRISE, Ala. (WBMA) — The Enterprise Police Department announced Monday that a 40-day search of the Coffee County Landfill for the remains of 2-year-old Genesis Reid has concluded without locating her remains.
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During a news conference on July 13, the Enterprise Police Department said the search operation, which began May 7, involved federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies, forensic experts, volunteers and support personnel from across Alabama.
According to police, investigators developed evidence that led them to believe Genesis’ mother, Adrienne Reid, murdered Genesis on Christmas night 2025, removed her from an apartment and later disposed of her body. Police said Reid reported Genesis missing 53 days after her death, which investigators said affected the timeline of the investigation.
Authorities said the landfill search was based on evidence that led investigators to believe Genesis had been placed in a dumpster at the apartment complex. The search continued for 40 working days and included approximately 10 million pounds of landfill material, according to police.
Investigators said teams examined more than 20,000 non-human bones and inspected numerous bags and other materials during the operation. Officials said the search area was reviewed and cleared by experts before landfill operations concluded on July 10.
Police said the search did not locate Genesis’ remains but emphasized that the operation was conducted thoroughly based on the evidence available at the time.
“The landfill search answered one important question,” police said during the news conference. “It strongly indicates that Genesis was not located in the specific area of interest that would have been believed to be associated with landfill operations.”
The department said the investigation will continue, with the focus now shifting toward court proceedings and efforts to seek justice for Genesis.
Police also expressed appreciation to the agencies, volunteers, local organizations and community members who assisted with the search effort.
“Although our search has concluded, our commitment to Genesis has not,” police said. “We will continue to pursue justice, we will continue to seek the truth, and we will never forget this precious child.”
“After interviewing witnesses and processing the scene for physical evidence, initial investigation shows that the shooting may have been in self-defense during a possible robbery attempt,” he said. “Surveillance video from the business corroborates the witness statements. At this time no one has been charged, but the investigation is ongoing”
This is a developing story. Tuscaloosa Patch will have more information as it becomes available.
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