Nick Saban Says Depth Chart Creates Unwanted Distraction

For the first time since Saban took over as head coach in 2007, Alabama football did not release a depth chart the Monday before the first game.

Katie Windham | Aug 28, 2023

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Alabama Crimson Tide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The biggest questions lingering through spring and fall camp surround who will be the starters at certain positions, namely quarterback.

Everyone will have to wait a little longer to get the answers to those questions.

For the first time since Nick Saban took over as head coach in 2007, Alabama did not release a depth chart the Monday before the first game.

"I don't want anybody on our team to think they’re a backup or whatever, and the depth chart kind of does that," Saban said Monday. "I think most of the players on our team know who should start in the game and who shouldn't start, but that's something that they do day to day in terms of the way they compete and the way they play.

"And nobody’s entitled to playing just because you put it on a piece of paper and say, ‘This is the way it is today.’ So I apologize for that. But it is what it is.”

Last season, Saban threatened to not give out a depth chart again. According to the head coach, people put too much stock in what it says, and it creates too much distraction for the team.

"Creates a lot of guys thinking that, ‘Well, this guy won the job now, and I'm not going to play,’ or whatever," Saban said. "And quite frankly, you know, we don't need that. And I want all of our players to continue to compete, continue to compete for playing time to try to play at the highest level."

From a player perspective though, Alabama center Seth McLaughlin said it actually isn't a big distraction because the players know things can change from how they are Week One.

"Game by game, Coach Saban's going to put the best guys out there that are going to put us in the best situation to win," McLaughlin said.

Soon, the shroud of mystery will be lifted not only when a depth chart is placed in the press box prior to Saturday's game against Middle Tennessee, but for real when the Crimson Tide finally takes the field inside Bryant-Denny Stadium to officially kickoff the 2023 season.

Katie Windham is the assistant editor for BamaCentral, primarily covering football, basketball gymnastics and softball. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama and has covered a variety of Crimson Tide athletics since 2019 for outlets like The Tuscaloosa News, The Crimson White and the Associated Press before joining BamaCentral full time in 2021. Windham has covered College Football Playoff games, the Women's College World Series, NCAA March Madness, SEC Tournaments and championships in multiple sports.

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