Getty Images Former Alabama transfer Drew Sanders speaks to media at the 2023 NFL Combine.
Former Alabama linebacker Drew Sanders is one of many players expected to hear their name called at the NFL Draft this year. A five-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports, Sanders spent his first two seasons in college with the Tide before transferring to Arkansas and joining forces with Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks.
Sanders, in an April 11 interview with The Spun, was open about his unique college experience as well as the differences in the two programs he suited up for.
Asked to explain the differences and similarities between Nick Saban and Pittman, Sanders said, “Both coaches are great and I loved playing for both of them, but Saban has his own coaching style and he’s going to get after you,” the linebacker continued, “He’ll chew your ear out once in a while.”
“Coach Pittman can do the same, but wants to be your friend and is always around you,” Sanders said, “But I love both coaches and would run through a wall for them.”
Sanders spent just a year as a Razorback, but made his impact felt, finishing his lone season with over 100 tackles, 13.5 TFL’s and 9.5 sacks. While he showed flashes at Alabama, the talented defender was unable to put it all together consistently.
The linebacker is projected as an early second round pick to the Carolina Panthers in ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, and is expected to be an early impact type of player.
Kiper said of the talented defender, “[Sanders] is a tall linebacker who can make an impact as a rookie. He could play inside or outside for Carolina and he’ll create chaos as a blitzer. Just let him chase the ball and he’ll make plays.”
As of now, with less than two weeks until the 2023 NFL Draft kicks off on April 27, Sanders has taken top-30 visits with several teams, including the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys and more.
Which Tide Transfers Have Found Success Elsewhere?
Since the creation of the transfer portal in 2018, the Crimson Tide has seen its fair share of players opt to leave the program. While many of those players were unable to find success elsewhere, there have been just as many whose decision to transfer from Alabama proved to be the right one.
Quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Taulia Tagovailoa both found incredible success with their new teams after leaving the Crimson Tide. Hurts joined forces with Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma in 2019, finishing his lone season as a Sooner with nearly 4,000 passing yards and over 50 total touchdowns while Tagovailoa made the move to Maryland where he has started 29 games and was named Second Team All-Big Ten in 2022.
Outside of the quarterback position, players like Jerome Ford and Ale Kaho also made names for themselves at a new program with Ford taking over at running back for Cincinnati and helping lead the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff in 2022 and Kaho earning a starting role with the UCLA Bruins.
While the transfer portal has certainly led to many headaches for college coaching staffs around the nation, it has also provided opportunities for players to put their talent on display that were never available to them before.
Taking a Look at the Tide’s 2023 Transfers
Per 247Sports, Alabama saw 17 players enter the transfer portal in the 2022 offseason, several of which were expected to be major contributors to the 2023 team.
Taking a look at the list of athletes, a few names jump out as players who could likely see a breakout season in 2023 with a new program.
JoJo Earle, WR – Earle, a former four-star recruit, per 247Sports, from Aledo, Texas transferred to TCU following the 2022 season. Possessing elite level speed and quickness, Earle is a threat to stretch the field on any play. While he was unable to find his footing with the Crimson Tide, the talented wideout could separate himself as a top target in the Big 12 next season.
Traeshon Holden, WR – Holden is another former highly rated recruit who was unable to find much success with the Crimson Tide, but possesses the tools to be an elite wide receiver. Standing at 6-foot-3, 208 pounds, Holden has the build of an ideal redzone target. Finding a new home in the fast-paced, high flying offense of the Oregon Ducks could prove to be a great decision for Holden in 2023.
Aaron Anderson, WR – The third wideout on the list, and possibly the most talented, Anderson was rated as the top player in the state of Louisiana, per 247Sports, in 2022. He battled injury and appeared in just one game for the Tide as a freshman, but returns to his home state school of LSU for 2023. While not much has been seen from Anderson at the college level, he possesses elite traits like Holden and Earle, and could quickly establish himself this season as a top wideout in the SEC.