Across college football, the Transfer Portal has taken some luster off incoming freshmen. Even so, the Alabama Football 2023 class was loaded with such outstanding talent, early-impacts by freshmen are expected.
A long-established premise in college football is that relying too much on freshmen is risky. Lesser programs are forced into playing freshmen quickly more than elite programs like the Alabama Crimson Tide. When a freshman starts or plays a key rotational role in Tuscaloosa, it is not about a position cupboard being bare.
Rather it is because Nick Saban will reward his best players, even when it means they must fight through a learning curve.