Nick Saban thanks Deion Sanders as Alabama assistant transitions to Colorado

The best assistant coach in the country for recruiting players in the 2023 class?

[{"selector":"#anim-d29f0645-2f06-4d9d-9c4c-9562b4dff6b3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

By 247 Sports’ rankings, that distinction belongs to Alabama safeties coach Charles Kelly.

[{"selector":"#anim-96899353-c42f-4fa4-868f-7a2d6b2c90ad","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Kelly, who has also served as the Tide’ associate defensive coordinator the past four seasons,

[{"selector":"#anim-70e24900-ad94-4030-a42e-40a69d9bf955","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

was involved in recruiting six of Alabama’s signees as part of its 27-player class announced Wednesday.

[{"selector":"#anim-c64b901e-c61f-4235-957b-172bf2e3b8db","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

That included a pair of five stars from Montgomery in James Smith and Qua Russaw,

[{"selector":"#anim-2ee72f75-b36c-49eb-971c-fece82aa8e2b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

whose pledges on national signing day gave Kelly the highest recruiter ranking by 247 Sports’ metrics in the nation.

[{"selector":"#anim-da2412c6-ce38-454a-acb9-8734d35748dc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Kelly’s rise to No. 1 came a day after he was announced as Colorado’s next defensive coordinator,

[{"selector":"#anim-84718d03-6b79-4a26-bb61-4f79e1ce433a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

an expected development since news of the move first broke earlier this month.

[{"selector":"#anim-cf2355b9-b476-4315-9c3f-353bd2a8870d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

coach Nick Saban thanked Kelly and new Colorado coach Deion Sanders for how they handled the transition.

[{"selector":"#anim-2d2a9541-46a2-41c7-b40d-2d374c9ed9db","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

“I really appreciate Deion and Charles Kelly both in terms of trying to finish the right way,”

[{"selector":"#anim-e7af0250-220f-4927-91b2-56b134c67e2b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

and we had four or five or six games left. I felt like I owed to the players, to Coach Belichick

[{"selector":"#anim-bae098ed-fad6-4d8c-a067-60ac86646610","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

and that Cleveland Browns organization to do the best job I could and stay focused on that.

[{"selector":"#anim-ea32c146-a264-48f1-b9a3-9ee8daa53918","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Charles has done a really good job of that.”

[{"selector":"#anim-11d5ef8f-c566-4a11-98a6-8e0749c559d5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]