Under Saban, the training was extremely disciplined and based on perfection. Those players were built on a mindset of “do it again until perfect.” So when Little compares it with his new team, that doesn’t mean it was bad; it’s just that he is seeing more competition there, and it’s pretty evident that more doesn’t always mean better.

Nick Saban was extremely tough when it came to training his players. Back in his coaching days, one story was very famous for his approach and how his players were confused when he placed trash cans around the gym even before practice.

“You better not throw up on my floor,” Saban said. “You got to throw up, you go throw up in one of these trash cans.”

Clinton Dix, who has played under Nick Saban, knows how well he has built Alabama. He was part of their 2011 championship-winning team. Though his tenure was filled with issues related to suspension for unspecified team rules violations and injury, like arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus in his knee, he learned all game aspects from Saban. Now, it’s not just about Saban’s system but also Kalen DeBoer’s too.

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Kalen DeBoer’s strength development raises questions

Unlike Earl Little, people also think the team became less intense after strength coach Scott Cochran left in 2020, and particularly following the transition to the Kalen DeBoer era in 2024, but others say that is not the case. They believe the training is still very tough, just done differently.

Strength coach David Ballou uses a more science-based system where coaches track every exercise, measuring things like power and performance in real time. Then the players are also ranked on daily leaderboards based on their results. Ballou explains the transition himself.

“They can see the power that’s being put out, the reps, the sets,” Ballou said. “Everything is there, everything’s collected, everything’s recorded, and it sets for a competition piece to it, OK? And these guys compete their butt off. They always have here, and that’s continued.”

College football has changed a lot in recent years. New rules like the transfer portal and NIL allow players to switch teams more easily and also earn money. This new era of college football, defined by the transfer portal and NIL, gives players like Little the freedom to switch teams and openly share their opinions