The transfer portal has undoubtedly changed the way teams operate in college football, and Nick Saban is at the forefront both with bringing players in — and losing players to other schools.

Alabama lost a staggering 21 players in the portal from last season to this season, but back in August, Saban said, “There’s only like one player that I was really like disappointed that the guy didn’t stay here, and I couldn’t understand why he was leaving.”

Well in the postgame handshakes and pleasantries after defeating the LSU Tigers, coach Saban may have just given us an indication as to who that player was in his interaction with now Tigers wide receiver Aaron Anderson.

"You'd be playing more here than you are there."

Saban to his former player Aaron Anderson 😳 pic.twitter.com/elLmKV03Ov

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 5, 2023

Anderson, a New Orleans native, was a four-star recruit in the 2022 class and was ranked as the #35 overall player in the nation and the #1 player in the state of Louisiana.

He was initially committed to LSU in 2020 before Ed Orgeron was fired, at which point he decommitted and ended up at Alabama. After not seeing the field during his freshman year, he entered the portal and went home to LSU.

While the Crimson Tide receiver group has started to come together this year, it’s hard not to wonder what could have been with Anderson this season had he stayed at Alabama. Clearly, he was a player that Nick Saban coveted and saw as a potential important piece of the offense.

To this point, Anderson has not yet recorded a reception in his college career.

Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP