TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — As the final addition to Alabama football's No. 1 recruiting class, safety Terrion Arnold intends to play more than solely on the gridiron in a Crimson Tide jersey.
A two-sport athlete, Arnold also played basketball in high school and intends to also take his talents to the hardwood at Alabama.
After the Crimson Tide took care of business 78-60 over the LSU Tigers in Coleman Coliseum on Wednesday night, coach Nate Oats addressed the young athlete's potential with the team.
“He’s tough,” said Oats. “Coach Hodgson’s been recruiting him hard. Him and [fellow two-sport Alabama signee Ga'Quincy McKinstry] are both guys that could play both, and we teamed up with football to recruit him. He’s a tough, gritty point guard type that can get in the ball. We like him. Shoot, I FaceTimed with him this afternoon, so excited to bring him in.”
Saban coached football at Michigan State from 1995-1999 — the same four years as when basketball coach Tom Izzo began his career with the Spartans. Saban and Izzo remain friends to this day, and both shared athletes during their time together.
Oats reflected on the two coaches' time in East Lansing, saying that Saban brings that willingness to work with basketball coaches to Tuscaloosa.
“I was in Michigan for 11 years," Oats said. "It seemed like Izzo always had one guy that came over from football and gave them some toughness, grittiness, and he played them a lot, too. Obviously Izzo and Coach Saban are good friends and talk. We talked to the football staff, and these guys, they’re kind of two-sport players. We definitely love seeing him sign with us today.”
Earlier in the day on Wednesday, Saban hosted a press conference to signal the end of National Signing Day. During his time with the media, Saban also spoke on the potential of Arnold playing two sports at Alabama.
“I’ve told players they can play other sports,” Saban said Wednesday. “We kind of want them to do what they have to do in football when they’re freshmen so they kind of learn the ropes. We’ve had guys run track here, several guys. We don’t have issues with guys playing other sports. (Keith) Holcombe played baseball. And I had several guys at Michigan State that played basketball, tried to play basketball, tried to do both, and I’m happy with these guys.
“Coach Oats and I have a good understanding of how we try to do it. It’s a little bit more difficult to play basketball because the seasons run together a little bit more, but if guys can contribute to our basketball program here, I’m all for it. We’re gonna do everything that we can to help them develop as football players, and when they don’t have football responsibilities, they can certainly go play basketball. And if they contribute to our team, I’ll be happy for them and happy for our basketball program.”
This story will be updated with video from Saban and Oats' Wednesday press conferences.
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