Julian Sayin to leave Alabama: Where the 5-star QB could play in 2024

Another bombshell departure for the Alabama football program as 5-star quarterback prospect Julian Sayin will transfer out. Where could he end up this year?

Another costly player departure has come to Alabama as former 5-star quarterback prospect Julian Sayin will enter his name into the college football transfer portal. Sayin was originally ranked as the No. 3 quarterback in his class by 247Sports and was arguably the most important player in the Crimson Tide's 2024 recruiting class.

As expected, the reason for Sayin's departure appears to be the retirement of head coach Nick Saban, who the quarterback pledged to Alabama specifically to play for. Now with Saban gone and new coach Kalen DeBoer bringing on transfer Austin Mack, the Carlsbad, Calif. native is looking for a new school in 2024.

That decision presents a very intriguing quarterback prospect into the transfer portal market for a school in need of a possible game-changer at the most important position. Sayin was a unanimous 5-star prospect and earned MVP honors at the Elite 11 Finals going into his senior year. Where could Sayin suit up for next season?

Options for Alabama transfer Julian Sayin in 2024

Georgia: Sayin originally said that he chose the Tide over the Bulldogs, which could now re-enter the picture for the 5-star quarterback, especially after Kirby Smart lost his pledge from near-consensus No. 1 passer Dylan Raiola, who flipped to Nebraska after originally committing to Georgia. Gunner Stockton is still in the picture behind incumbent Carson Beck after setting in-state high school records as a varsity QB.

LSU: Brian Kelly was in the running for Sayin for a time during his recruiting process and now after losing Jayden Daniels, he's in the market for options at quarterback. The highly-acclaimed Garrett Nussmeier is expected to step in for Daniels, but LSU could be persuaded to introduce some competition into the starting job given Sayin's skill set and potential.

USC: A native of California, the quarterback would theoretically be a good fit for Lincoln Riley's offense, which is set to lose Caleb Williams to the NFL Draft. Miller Moss had a good debut in Williams' place in the bowl game, but his future as starter is still an open question.

Michigan: The departure of quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the NFL Draft leaves a big hole open for the Wolverines to fill at the position, and the return of tailback Donovan Edwards bodes well for the offense. But will Jim Harbaugh be back as head coach? He's currently on the NFL circuit looking for a possible job at the pro level.

Ohio State: The presence of Bill O'Brien on staff could tilt things strongly in the Buckeyes' favor after Ryan Day brought him on as offensive coordinator. That's an interesting development as O'Brien, then the OC at Bama, was one of the reasons Sayin originally pledged there in addition to Saban being head coach. Working in an O'Brien offense could lure the quarterback to Columbus, though he'd have to wait a year behind veteran transfer Will Howard.

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