Justin Eboigbe on Saban’s retirement, Alabama players transferring, Senior Bowl opportunity

By Creg Stephenson
Justin Eboigbe was joking, but perhaps he could be forgiven if he was having trouble keeping track of all the changes at Alabama in the three weeks since he played his last football game for the Crimson Tide.
Eboigbe is one of three former Alabama players participating in the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl on Feb. 3, and has spent the time since the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl training hard in preparation for the NFL draft. When asked for his reaction to the retirement of Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, the hiring of new coach Kalen DeBoer and the mass exodus of Alabama players to the transfer portal, Eboigbe first joked “what happened?” before giving a thoughtful answer.
“Coach Saban has been doing it for a long time and all good things have to come to an end,” Eboigbe said during a meeting with Mobile-area media at Senior Bowl headquarters on Monday. “One of the biggest things with him is he’s never gonna leave it worse than how he found it. (Alabama) made the right decision to find the right coach.
“The guys who are leaving out of the program, you’ve got to respect their decision because at the end of the day, they came there to play for him. You understand position coaches are going to come and go, but the constant has always been (Saban).”
Despite the losses of nearly two dozen players to the transfer portal — including standout safety Caleb Downs and top receiver Isaiah Bond among them, Alabama still returns the bones of an excellent team in 2024. DeBoer also has an excellent track record of success at every stop, including a 25-3 record in two seasons at Washington.
There will be inevitable growing pains as with any coaching change, but Eboigbe stressed patience from Alabama fans.
“One of the biggest thing is the guys that are sticking around, give them a chance to build it some,” Eboigbe said. “Creating a new culture, keep the same coaching that coach Saban instilled in them, and give him a chance to succeed.”
Eboige is joined in the Senior Bowl by two former Crimson Tide teammates: edge rusher Chris Braswell and kicker Will Reichard. In addition, three former Alabama players who transferred to other schools — wide receiver Javon Baker (Central Florida), offensive lineman Javion Cohen (Miami) and cornerback Khyree Jackson (Oregon) — are also playing in this year game.
The 6-foot-5, 292-pound Eboigbe enjoyed an outstanding senior season for Alabama, which went 12-2 and won the SEC championship before losing to eventual national champion Michigan in the Rose Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal. The Atlanta area native overcame a serious neck injury that cost him most of 2022, earning first-team All-SEC honors in 2023 after totaling 64 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
“It showed me how to be resilient,” Eboigbe said. “Just each and every day to stay focused and understand that I was gonna prove myself right and come back and be a better player that I ever showed before. Each day, I just worked to be the best I can be and understand that there ain’t no tomorrow for me. I’m looking forward to Senior Bowl week and putting the work in.”
The 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl kicks off at noon Central on Feb. 3 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile. NFL Network will broadcast the game live.