Nick Saban clearly doesn’t care for star-ratings and isn’t a fan of the star-ranking system in recruiting.

The legendary former coach and current ESPN analyst took a shot at recruiting rankings ahead of Monday night’s national championship game between Indiana and Miami.

Saban called out the recruiting ranking industry while comparing a couple of former Alabama running backs, Josh Jacobs and Damien Harris, during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show before the national title game.

“We never ever looked, and I know Cig (Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti) doesn’t either, at how many stars a guy has because I think what you all need to do is look at who’s giving out the stars,” Saban said. “They don’t know their ass from their hands when it comes to what a football player is. So why would you, as a coach, depend on somebody who’s not even a coach, evaluating players to give them stars? I say all the time, Josh Jacobs had no stars. Damien Harris was a five-star. They were both really good players, don’t get me wrong, but Josh Jacobs was a first-round draft pick, and Damien Harris was a third-round (pick). Josh Jacobs is still playing, Damien Harris is not.”

Saban, a seven-time national championship coach, was making a point about how he believes Cignetti’s success at Indiana is based on finding players who fit the program’s culture and scheme as opposed to simply getting highly rated players. Saban’s comments came during a discussion about the large star disparity between the Indiana and Miami teams.

According to ESPN, the national championship teams from 2014-24 had an average of 58 four- and five-star recruits on their rosters, while the 2025 Indiana team that won the national title had eight (all four-stars).

–Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee-Imagn Images