Bryce Young's dad reveals Nick Saban's "smooth" recruiting strategy during Alabama tenure

Bryce Young has previously talked about Nick Saban’s recruiting ability. This time it was his father, Craig Young, who recalled the former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach’s strategy to land his son.

Craig recalled that his son's primary recruiter was not Saban, but rather former offensive coordinator and current Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian. On occasion, the quarterback would get the opportunity to speak with Saban during planned calls around once a week.

On a video call with AL.com football podcast “Beat Everyone,” Young Sr. looked back at the recruiting process and Saban’s “smooth” skills.

“Coach is really smooth, he is very conversational," Craig said. "He’ll tell you a lot about what’s going on during practice, he’ll give you some game plan hints. He is just really, really a great recruiter, kind of like he’s on TV right now.

"You see that sense of humor, you see that dry humor. You see that wit, that sarcasm a little bit, that personality.”

Nick Saban's pitch centered around playing with and against the best, Craig said.

“It wasn't a pitch, it’s just like ‘Do you want to play against the best?’ And when he said against the best, you would think what he meant was to play in the SEC. No, when you wanna play against the best that means every day at practice,” Craig added.

Bryce Young went on to win the 2021 Heisman Trophy at Alabama and was the first overall draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is currently the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback.

Nick Saban lists his five favorite Crimson Tide players to coach

Nick Saban was a master recruiter, who often landed talented and dedicated players during his time at Alabama.

Speaking to Ryan Clark on “The Pivot” podcast, the former coach was asked about his favorite player to coach during his Alabama tenure. Saban couldn’t settle for just one name, so he listed the players he enjoyed coaching the most at Tuscaloosa.

The list included wide receiver Julio Jones, running back Derrick Henry, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and linebackers Rolando McClain and Reuben Foster.

“I like the guys who were always in my office because they were screwing up,” Saban said. “I got closer to them, you know?"

Saban was the head coach at Alabama from 2007 to 2023 and won six national championships with the Crimson Tide. He finished his first season as a college football analyst at ESPN.