Four Crimson Tide juniors have decided to leave Alabama a year early and enter the NFL Draft, while a fifth may reportedly join the quartet.
Cyrus Kouandjio, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Jeoffrey Pagan and Adrian Hubbard all announced in a press conference Thursday that they will forgo their final year of eligibility at Alabama.
ESPN’s Joe Schad reported Sunday afternoon that junior safety Vinnie Sunseri will enter the draft as well.
“I’d like to commend each and every one of these young men … who have had a fantastic career here at The University of Alabama,” coach Nick Saban said at the press conference Thursday. “They’ve done a wonderful job representing this institution, their families and this football program.”
Kouandjio received a first-round grade from the NFL and is considered to be one of the top offensive tackles entering the draft.
He said the hardest part was giving up the opportunity to play another year beside his brother, Arie Kouandjio.
“It’s tough. It’s really emotional for me,” Kouandjio said. “It’s hard for me to even talk about it right now.”
Clinton-Dix received a first-round grade from the league and is largely rated as the No. 1 safety prospect.
“I bought into this system since I was in high school,” Clinton-Dix said. “Coach Saban told me if I came here and I worked hard, I would be a great player and I could be three-and-done and go conquer my dreams and whatnot. And I feel like I’ve done that. He told me I did, said I worked hard, and he also told me if I stayed, I could graduate and win all types of awards. It has ups and downs in my decision-making, but I think I made the right decision.”
Pagan is projected to fall between the second and third rounds. The defensive lineman said he was thankful for Saban and the coaching staff for giving him the chance to play at Alabama.
“There was a time I thought I was never going to be able to play football again,” Pagan said. “Just being able to play here and achieve the things I was able to achieve just means so much to me.”
Hubbard is slated to be chosen anywhere between the second and fourth round. The outside linebacker received his degree in business management from the University this December.
“It doesn’t matter what kind of grade they give you,” Hubbard said. “You’ve still got to go out there and present yourself.”
The news of Sunseri making the jump to the NFL with one year of eligibility remaining broke Sunday afternoon, but there has been no confirmation from Alabama. Sunseri sustained a season-ending ACL injury, forcing him to miss the second half of the season.
Thirteen Alabama juniors have left early for the draft since Saban became the coach of the Crimson Tide, including 11 first-round draft picks.
Junior linebacker Trey DePriest said he would come back while the team was in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.
“I know it’s difficult for each and every one of these players to make decisions,” Saban said. “They each love The University of Alabama, and they [had] to make a difficult business decision about what is best for their future.”
