Late Friday night's settlement in the historic House vs. NCAA case has changed college athletics forever. Direct payment to athletes via revenue sharing will now begin on July 1st, and the landscape will forever be changed as a result.
We've already touched on what it means for Alabama moving forward, but one of the significant pieces of the settlement is the $2.88 billion that will be allocated to athletes in back pay. Athletes who played college sports from 2016 and on will be eligible to receive part of that money, which will be paid out over the next decade.
That got us to thinking about the last decade of Alabama athletics and the numerous players who came through Tuscaloosa and weren't able to take part in NIL or the new revenue sharing model. These players would have undoubtedly been paid a pretty penny under today's rules.
Let's take a look at the five Alabama athletes who deserve the biggest share of the back pay pie.
These 5 former Alabama players should earn the most significant back pay
5. Will Anderson Jr.
Before becoming the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft and immediately becoming a household name in the NFL for the Houston Texans, Will Anderson Jr. was a terrorizing force for the Crimson Tide defense from 2020-22.
Nicknamed "The Terminator," Anderson burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2020, starting all 13 games for the Crimson Tide. He racked up 52 tackles and seven sacks, helping lead Alabama to a perfect 13-0 season and the final National Championship of the Nick Saban era.
Over his last two years in Tuscaloosa, Anderson emerged as a vocal leader for the Crimson Tide and he produced 52 tackles-for-loss and 27.5 sacks combined. He was perhaps the best player in college football as a sophomore, finishing with an unbelievable 35 tackles-for-loss to go along with 17.5 sacks.
Anderson would have been worth a significant percentage of Alabama's revenue sharing.
4. Collin Sexton
It's obvious that football will dominate this, considering the amount of success - and revenue generated - by the program over the last decade. But I would be remiss if I didn't mention at least one basketball player, and while Brandon Miller and Mark Sears have an argument to be on this list, there may not have been a more significant player in recent Alabama basketball history than Collin Sexton.
Before the Nate Oats era, and before Alabama became one of the top basketball programs in the country, Sexton chose to play for Avery Johnson and the Crimson Tide. Sexton came to Tuscaloosa at a time when Alabama had not had a first-round NBA draft pick in 17 years.
He only stayed for one spectacular season, but he changed the narrative about the program in the process. Sexton averaged over 19 points per game as a freshman, and his heroics led Alabama to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years, producing the Tide's first NCAA Tournament win in 12 years in the process.
Sexton was then the 8th overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Since he left, Alabama has made the NCAA Tournament five times, producing 11 victories in March Madness and the program's first Final Four in 2024. Alabama has also seen four more players selected in the first-round of the NBA Draft.
Sexton helped lay the groundwork for what the Bama basketball program has become. His impact was priceless.
3. Bryce Young
Bryce Young became the first quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy at Alabama and then became the first Tide player to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft since the AFL/NFL merger.
(Joe Namath was the No. 1 pick in the AFL Draft, and Harry Gilmer was the No. 1 pick back in 1948, pre-merger.)
Young was the backup QB on Alabama's 2020 National Championship team, and then had an unbelievable two-year run as the team's starter. He had a record-breaking season in 2021, producing a school-record 4872 passing yards and 47 touchdowns on his way to the Heisman. He led the Tide to an SEC Championship and a national runner-up finish.
Young has a legitimate argument as the best QB in school history.
2. DeVonta Smith
DeVonta Smith is the best WR in Alabama history, and one of the most accomplished football players in the history of the sport, period.
Smith had an incredible four-year career in Tuscaloosa, bookended by National Championships. As a little-known freshman, Smith caught the game-winning pass in overtime against Georgia to deliver Alabama the 2017 National Championship.
He had a prolific junior season in 2019, producing 1256 yards and 14 touchdowns, including an Alabama single-game record five receiving touchdowns against Ole Miss that season. But it was his senior season that separated him as the best in school history.
Smith recorded 1856 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior, winning the Heisman Trophy as a WR and leading Alabama to the 2020 National Championship.
The skinny kid from Amite is Alabama's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. His 46 career receiving touchdowns are 15 more than Amari Cooper, who is No. 2 on the list.
1. Tua Tagovailoa
Could No. 1 be anyone else? If you don't think Bryce Young is the best QB in Alabama history, odds are good you think it's Tua Tagovailoa.
With a tip of the cap to Jalen Hurts, Tagovailoa changed everything for the quarterback position at Alabama. His prolific play directly led to the Crimson Tide landing 5-stars like Young and newcomer Keelon Russell.
Tagoavailoa produced one of the most iconic moments in Alabama history, coming off the bench in the National Championship game as a freshman, and leading the Crimson Tide back from a 13-0 halftime deficit to beat Georgia. His touchdown pass in overtime on 2nd-and-26 will forever be remembered in college football lore.
Tagovailoa is Alabama's all-time leader in touchdown passes with 87. In his first season as the starting QB, he finished as the Heisman runner-up with 3966 passing yards and 43 touchdowns. He was arguably even better as a junior, throwing 33 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions, before he suffered a devastating injury against Mississippi State that ended his Tide career.
In the NIL era, Tagovailoa would have been worth eight figures. He's made more than enough money in the NFL, but he deserves a significant chunk of the back pay.