Rece Davis Doesn't Blame Top CFB Quarterback For Transferring From SEC

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Former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Julian Sayin made headlines this week when he announced he’d be transferring to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Sayin, a former 5-star recruit who was the No. 1 ranked quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, is one of the many elite prospects to transfer to play for Ryan Day’s program this offseason.

He ranked as the No. 4 overall player in the portal and as the top ranked passer.

On the most recent episode of the College GameDay Podcast, Rece Davis and Pete Thamel touched on Ohio State’s incredible transfer haul. Davis made it clear that he does not blame Sayin one bit for transferring from Alabama just 11 days after enrolling as a true freshman.

And that’s because new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer brought quarterback Austin Mack with him from the Washington Huskies. Mack, a former 4-star recruit in the class of 2023 who committed to DeBoer’s UW program, is viewed as possibly the quarterback of the future in Tuscaloosa. And because of all the changing parts and unknowns, Davis thinks it was perfectly reasonable for Sayin to seek transfer.

“I’m sure that Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb would have been happy to have Julian Sayin stay and compete,” Davis said. “But this was one of those deals where I don’t blame Sayin one bit because they they brought in Austin Mack through the portal, who was quarterback of the future at Washington. So then you get in a situation much like I see in baseball. Like when my son was being recruited, the one thing I said to him is ‘you know nobody’s going to give you anything but you’ve got to get a vibe from the coach whether he believes in you or not.’ Because if he doesn’t believe in you – and all that ‘believe in you’ means is that they’re going to give you an equal opportunity with the expectation that you’re good enough to be the starter.

Sayin and his Alabama teammates were granted a 30-day window to transfer after Nick Saban announced his retirement. Sayin joined other Bama stars Caleb Downs (defensive back) and Seth McLaughlin (offensive lineman) in transferring to Columbus after Saban’s retirement. Downs ranks as the No. 1 overall transfer this offseason.

“If they are questioning you or they have someone else that they believe in more, or someone in this case that they know better like Austin Mack, well then Julian Sayin’s in a position where ‘OK I can’t just be a little better, I’ve probably got to be a lot better and I probably also have to hope the other guy stinks it up.’ And that’s not a good place to be. So I didn’t I didn’t blame him a bit.”