Per On3, the 6-foot-6, 325-pound tackle was the fourth-ranked offensive tackle in the 2023 cycle. Unlike many freshmen on these talent-rich teams, Pritchett saw action in all 13 games this season. While it was on a rotation with others, he still played an important part on the offense. He is the sixth player from Nick Saban’s team to enter the portal in these first couple of weeks. Given his size and the position he plays, Pritchett should get a lot of interest in the portal.
Helow was the linebackers coach in 2021 and 2022. While he did not spend any time with the team this year after both sides mutually agreed to part ways in February, he helped coach the team to the playoffs the last two years. Saban is engaging in some classic gamesmanship here. While Helow could provide some valuable insight, more of the move is that Michigan has to consider this in its preparation. Will they feel the need to change a couple of things on defense to try and counter what Helow knows?
his is classic Nick Saban. He is a master at these kinds of chess moves against opposing coaches. However, Harbaugh is a tough one to crack. I doubt that he is intimidated by this and the team has likely changed some things for 2023 simply because someone else was coaching them. Each coach brings their own flavor so it won’t be completely the same from past years. It is unclear what role Helow will play or whether this is simply a gamesmanship move.
