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Nick Saban has built a complete juggernaut in Tuscaloosa.
There are two pillars for his vast empire of success: Recruiting at an exceptionally high level, and player development.
During his weekly SEC teleconference, he spoke about the importance of having a deep team — especially as it pertains to accounting for any injuries that inevitably will pop up.
Saban spoke about former Washington head coach Don James — and the influence James has had on Saban’s coaching philosophy. James brought Saban on as a graduate assistant in 1973 at Saban’s alma mater, Kent State:
“How big is depth this late in the season? it’s critical. You lose a guy here or there and if you don’t have depth…Don James believed the bottom 40 on the team determine your fate more than the top 40 and that makes sense to me now.”
There are teams that recruit close to the level of Alabama. Saban’s bunch in particular is an entity littered with former 4 and 5-star recruits. However, what separates Alabama from many programs is truly the depth it has built up.
There’s not a massive difference from the first unit to the second. For other programs, two injuries to starters may turn out to be a considerable blow.
LSU OL Will Clapp also spoke glowingly about the depth Alabama has along its defensive line:
A key quote from #LSU OL Will Clapp on #Bama's depth for a story we're hacking on LSU OL vs. Bama DL. pic.twitter.com/ORoTbUeh7p
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 2, 2016
As for Alabama, it’s the ‘next man up’ mantra.
