The Alabama Crimson Tide took full advantage of the transfer portal on Saturday to land highly touted linebacker Henry To’o To’o, and don’t say Nick Saban didn’t warn you.
To’o To’o, formerly a standout linebacker for the Tennessee Volunteers, announced his commitment to Alabama on Saturday. The Crimson Tide beat out the likes of Ohio State for him. He has two years of eligibility of remaining, although it’s not yet clear if he’ll be able to play in 2021 until the SEC decides whether or not to align itself with the NCAA’s one-time immediate transfer rule.
That transfer rule is the same one Saban warned about last month. In fact, the Alabama coach suggested that the one-time transfer opportunity could lead to good players going to the best teams, which would force lesser players to leave those schools for a less-talented team offering more snaps.
“Is that gonna make the rich get richer? I don’t know. You can decide that,” Saban said of the rule.
In some ways, Saban is proving himself right. To’o To’o departed Tennessee after coach Jeremy Pruitt was fired and promptly landed at the most successful program in recent history. Saban might or might not be comfortable with the rule, but he’s certainly going to take advantage of it where it makes sense to do so.
There are definitely coaches who hate the rule. For some, it might be because while they feel the same way as Saban does; they won’t be the ones benefitting from it. Whatever the case, it sure looks like the Alabama coach was right to offer the warning he did.
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