Nick Saban had no trouble picking a side when Mario Cristobal’s name came up.
During a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, the ESPN analyst and former Alabama and LSU coach praised Miami’s head coach while also taking a jab at the way Cristobal sells his program. Saban joked that Cristobal keeps trying to talk him into believing the ACC stacks up with the SEC, and Saban wasn’t buying it.
“He calls me up with this ACC bullshit,” cracked Saban. “He's always trying to convince me the ACC is better than the SEC.... He's never gonna convince me.”
Saban pointed to the SEC’s season-opening profile, noting that the league begins the year with nine top 25 teams, while Cristobal’s conference has three. For Saban, that skepticism comes from a coach who built titles at both LSU and Alabama and has seen the difference up close.
Still, the praise came with the punchline. Saban called Cristobal “the best salesman in the history of ball,” adding, “I love [him] as a coach... but this guy is the best salesman in the history of ball,” said Saban.
“He's a great recruiter. But if he ever gets fired, he'll be the best used car salesman in South Florida.
I guarantee, no doubt.”
Cristobal’s rise has been tied to that recruiting reputation for years. His first head coaching stop at FIU produced a 27-47 record over six seasons, with two bowl trips and an 8-5 high point. He then rebuilt his stock as an assistant under Saban at Alabama before moving to Oregon, where he went 35-14, came close to the College Football Playoff in 2019, and left after a 10-4 season in 2021.
At Miami, the results have started to catch up. Cristobal went 12-13 in his first two seasons with the Hurricanes, then delivered 10-3 and 13-3 campaigns over the past two years. Miami also reached the CFP title game last season before falling one score short of an upset win over Indiana.
Now the Hurricanes are carrying real expectations into 2026. They open the season as huge ACC favorites and sit No. 7 in the AP poll, just behind defending champion Indiana.
And the recruiting machine keeps humming. Miami’s 2027 class is currently ranked third nationally in On3’s Industry team rankings, and the group already includes four consensus five-star commitments. For all of Saban’s teasing, Cristobal doesn’t appear headed to the car lot anytime soon.
In Other News...
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The filing says Miami never gave Vaughn a written explanation, pointed to no rule violation and offered no hearing before cutting ties, and it also says the school refused to submit the waiver request he needed to transfer. Vaughn is asking the court to hold both the university and the NCAA responsible so he can keep his education and football career going somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Has Several Once Promising Players Running Out Of Time
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For Miami, the appeal is obvious: any of them could still become a useful piece if the opportunity finally matches the talent. But with time and depth chart space getting tighter, their path is starting to look less like a reset and more like a last chance to show they belong in a bigger way. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Fans Will Want To Hear Which Commits Are Turning Heads
As Miamis 2026 class and broader recruiting board continue to take shape, Jose Duasso of RAW Miami has been flagging the kinds of names Hurricanes fans tend to circle early. His look at the grassroots scene centered on a handful of prospects who are starting to separate themselves: Nick Lennear, A'Mir Sears, Jaylyn Jones, Sherrod Gourdine and Dennis Tua'one, with Duasso also pointing to several under-the-radar players who could keep climbing as their development catches up to their talent.
What makes the modern chase a little different is how quickly exposure can spread now, with social media and Adidas OT7 partnership giving more players a bigger stage than ever. Duassos evaluations also offered a reminder that recruiting is no longer just about the loudest names, since some of these prospects are being judged on fit, upside and how they might translate once they get to the college level, which is exactly the kind of detail Miami fans will want to keep tabs on as the board evolves. [Read more 🡒]