Nick Saban's European Vacation - Was It A Recruiting Trip? Tide Just Landed German LB Commit After Signing Finland OL

Nick Saban - world traveler, and world recruiter?

Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of prospects - that apparently is what the Alabama football coach is doing.

Saban vacationed in Italy last May, touring Rome, Venice, Florence and the Amalfi Coast and was often greeted as a rock star. But was that a working vacation? Will there be an Italian quarterback in Alabama's future?

The Tide may need a quarterback very soon. Saban had to resort to a second tier transfer portal entry in Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner last April after projected starter Jalen Milroe did not tear it up in spring drills.

Nick Saban's Worldwide Recruiting

And Saban's recent recruiting has had a distinct European flair. On Sunday, he landed a commitment from linebacker Justin Okoronkwo of Furstenfeldbruck, Bavaria, in Germany. That is about a six-hour drive from Venice, Italy, but there is no confirmation Saban made an in-home visit to Okoronkwo while on vacation.

New defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and inside linebacker coach Robert Bala did the "leg" work for the three-star prospect (6-foot-3, 225 pounds). In other words, it may be quite a long distance phone bill. And, by the way, all the way to Germany for a three-star? Can't you get one of those in Dothan? Maybe, there is a positive exchange with the metric system. (See Pulp Fiction.)

For the class of 2023, Saban landed offensive lineman Olaus Alinen of Pori, Finland. Alinen moved to Windsor, Connecticut for his junior year of high school in 2021. And in 2022, Saban signed punter James Burnip of Melbourne, Australia.

Alabama Name Known Across Oceans

Evidently, the Saban and Alabama brands cross oceans.

"Coming from Germany, we learn about college football a little different than American athletes," Okoronkwo said in June when Alabama offered, according to 247 Sports. "So for me, Alabama was always the team I saw or heard of most. It's an honor to be offered a scholarship from them."

Saban noticed strong brand awareness while in Italy.

“You know, it’s something to say about the brand we have," Saban said at a charity golf tournament in Birmingham after returning from vacation. "The iconic brand of the Crimson Tide. We got ‘Roll Tide-ed' in Venice, Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast. So, it’s everywhere I went. It says something. I don’t know what it quite says about me. I got a few jilts from other SEC fans."

Okoronkwo is Alabama's 11th commitment for the Class of 2024. He had committed to Maryland in November. He previously came to the United States for camps at Alabama and Georgia. Projected as a middle linebacker, Okoronkwo has pass rusher speed as he has been clocked at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He also has a 38-inch vertical leap.