Nick Saban Admits He Tried to Steal Wyatt Milum From WVU While at Alabama

Milum's loyalty to WVU is very strong.

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; ESPN analyst Nick Saban before the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Shortly after West Virginia offensive lineman Wyatt Milum was announced as the 89th overall pick (3rd round) to the Jacksonville Jaguars, ESPN analyst and former Alabama head coach raised some eyebrows with his comments regarding the Kenova, West Virginia native.

"Another one of those recruits we lost," Saban reflected on his time at Alabama. "But we tried to get this guy every year in the portal, even when we didn't get him out of high school."

Milum never entered the transfer portal, meaning Saban and the Crimson Tide attempted to tamper with Milum to get him to leave WVU. For a program like Alabama to keep knocking on his door year after year and repeatedly turn them down says a lot about the young man's character and loyalty to the state, the university, and the Mountaineer football program.

By staying put, Milum will forever be remembered as one of the best to ever put on the Old Gold and Blue uniform. Following his final season in Morgantown, Milum earned first-team selections from Walter Camp Football Foundation, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), and Sporting News. He was also named the Big 12 Conference's Lineman of the Year and was a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI