Former Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron has launched a scathing attack on his alma mater, accusing current players of being too focused on social media and NIL deals in the wake of the team’s second defeat of the season.
Speaking on the McCready & Siskey podcast, McCarron criticised the shift in priorities among modern athletes, lamenting how things have changed since his college days.
“Players are worried about f*g TikTok… for their personal self and personal gain, and how much money they can get from NIL,” he said.
Reflecting on his time at Alabama, McCarron added: “We just didn’t have that s*** back then. It was a team sport. You came together as a team because you had one common goal, because you knew that’s how you were going to make your money – by winning.”
McCarron, who led Alabama to back-to-back national titles in 2011 and 2012, believes the introduction of NIL has shifted the mindset of players, making individual interests more prominent.
His remarks come after Alabama dropped to 15th in the AP poll following a loss to Tennessee, further fuelling concerns about the program’s current trajectory.
According to On3.com’s NIL rankings, Alabama now boasts two of the top 10 most valuable players in college football: quarterback Jalen Milroe, ranked fourth, and wide receiver Ryan Williams, ranked ninth. Williams, who has over 384,000 TikTok followers, seems emblematic of the distractions McCarron referenced.
“Winning attracts people to that program – it attracts scouts, GMs, and ownership to give you the chance to make a lot of money and change your family’s future,” McCarron said.
“You can just tell it’s not the same. I think Bama fans should get used to that… it’s not gonna be what you knew from 2008 up until last year, where there was just a certain standard.”
He clarified that his comments were not intended as criticism of the current coaching staff. “It’s just a different era,” McCarron said.
“I think it’s something they’re going to have to buckle up for if they’re not ready.”
Alabama, now led by head coach Kalen DeBoer, will look to bounce back this weekend as they take on Missouri, hoping to restore some momentum in what has been a challenging season.