Jumbo Package: Saban displeased with current transfer market, says waivers are too easily granted

Happy Monday, everyone. Last week, Saban commented publicly about speculated rule proposals that may allow undrafted juniors to return to college football. Now he has delved into the current transfer climate on Finebaum’s show.

“I get a little concerned sometimes. Are we putting the decision making in the wrong hands? I think everybody needs to understand. We all have football programs, and there’s a lot of coaches out there who have good programs. Their programs are all geared toward young people being successful. Help them do the right thing. Help them get an education. Be the best person they can be. In some kind of way, there’s a perception that we’re taking advantage of somebody. We’re trying to help them. When we try to make somebody do the right thing, and they can run down the hall and leave, it would be the equivalent of one of your children — you’re reprimanding your son — and he just says, ‘I’ll move next door. I don’t have to do that.’ What are we really doing here?”

You can understand Saban’s concerns from a coach’s perspective, but you can’t reach everyone. If a player is going to quit because the coach is trying to make him better, so be it. You probably don’t really want that guy on your team to begin with. That said, the current waiver process for immediate eligibility is laughable. Either enforce the residency rule or get rid of it altogether. Saban concurs and prefers the former, though this quote is liable to set off a firestorm.

“I think it’s okay for guys to transfer, but we give out waivers left and right for them to be immediately eligible,” Saban said. “So there’s no consequences. They made a commitment. When you make a commitment and you don’t see it through, there’s usually a consequence. It’s a fact of life. It’s a part of life, and we should be teaching these lifelong lessons to young people while they’re at college.”

Cue the “coaches leave all the time” takes.

Quinnen Williams is ready to go for the J-E-T-S Jets.

“I was like a little fan at first,” Williams said on the second day of the Jets’ rookie orientation program. “You’ve got to think about it: Seven months ago, I didn’t even know if I was going to start, so to be in this position right now, I’m like, ‘Bro, that’s crazy,’ so when I get to meet people, I be like, ‘Man, it’s dope.’ I met Le’Veon Bell yesterday, and I’m like ‘Whoa, that’s Le’Veon Bell, like the No. 1 running back in the NFL.’ It’s just crazy.

“Any time you have a guy that we see as a really talented player, a guy that put a lot of good tape out there his last year in college, and add that to the group we already have, I think it’s really going to be something that could help our defense, especially up the middle,” coach Adam Gase said. “The push up the middle is going to be big for us, especially in this division.”

Quinnen is a big kid in a big city. He will be fun to follow.

Deionte Thompson certainly wasn’t transferring over some tough coaching.

“I can tell you he helped me one way by ripping my ass every day at practice,” Thompson said. “Making sure I was on top of stuff and making sure I was accountable on that field. If you weren’t accountable, you weren’t going to be out there. He’s a great coach, and he demands excellence. He wants you to do it until you can’t get it wrong.

“That was one of the things I had to learn. I had to learn to be a fundamental player because coming from my high school I was kind of a freelance guy, just making plays all over the field, and now with the Coach Saban coaching under my belt, I understand the position.”

While Deionte could have used another year in school and probably could have moved up by a couple of rounds had he stayed, his precipitous fall had more to do with a balky knee. Hopefully it holds up for him and allows for a long career.

Last, Alabama commit Roydell Williams is drawing Josh Jacobs comparisons.

Roydell Williams set a Hueytown single-season rushing record with 291 carries for 2,757 yards and 32 TDs last season, while also catching three TDs and throwing another, in leading the Golden Gophers to its best season and first playoff win since 2011.

To get ready for his senior season, Williams opted not to play basketball and instead devote all his energy to getting bigger, faster and stronger in the weight room.

This kid has some serious vision and has the potential to be another great Alabama back. Check out some highlights below.

That’s about it for today. Have a great week.

Roll Tide.