Nick Saban reveals shocking admission of Alabama’s 2021 outlook at SEC Media Days

Alabama has to replace the Heisman winner, Doak Walker winner and Davey O’Brien winner and Nick Saban admits it’s going to be tough for the Crimson Tide.

Alabama’s quest to repeat as national champions is going to be a daunting one for Nick Saban.

The Crimson Tide lost six first-round picks, including Heisman winner DeVonta Smith, Doak Walker winner, Najee Harris and Davey O’Brien winner, Mac Jones. That trio represented half of the first-round picks for Alabama who also had 10 total draft picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. Alabama often reloads and the thought of a full-on rebuild is akin to nails on a chalkboard for Alabama football fans.

However, that’s a very tangible thing facing Saban and Alabama fans this fall.

Speaking at SEC Media Days on Wednesday morning, Saban admitted the challenge in replacing that much offensive production, as well as the turnover on the coaching staff.

“Penalty for success: you had a lot of good players, good coaches. When you lose some of those players – we lost six first-round picks, 10 guys to the draft, lost some coaches. You have to rebuild with new players that have lesser experience. We’ll be a work in progress”

Nick Saban admits Alabama will be a work in progress

This is not a new territory for Saban and Alabama. As he says, it’s a penalty for success. When you’re successful, your best players leave early for the NFL Draft and other programs want to raid your coaching staff. That’s happened at Alabama for years. It happens at the top programs around the country, albeit not to the degree it happens at Alabama.

However, it’s the last sentence that could send a shiver down the spine of Alabama football fans.

Is Alabama really going to be a “work in progress”

That phrasing suggests Alabama could struggle as new players adjust to their new roles and the coaching staff adjusts their philosophy to the new players. But what does struggling mean for Alabama?

It could mean Alabama is still the best team in the SEC West, but maybe they aren’t the best team in the SEC. It could mean they get to the College Football Playoff but don’t win it all.

A work in progress at Alabama isn’t the same as Arkansas or Tennessee being a work in progress. That said, if the new players and coaches struggle to mesh, it could result in more losses on the final win-loss record than Saban and Alabama football fans are accustomed to.

That said, Alabama is still going to be in the top-three in the preseason AP Top 25 and likely will be the media’s pick to win the SEC when the poll is revealed at the conclusion of SEC Media Days on Thursday.

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