Pat McAfee Facilitates Pat White Finally Asking Nick Saban About His Recruitment

In the midst of a full WVU centered Pat McAfee Show focused on honoring WVU’s past and offering hope for the future, Nick Saban appeared and had a very interesting conversation with a Mountaineer legend.

Pat White, who was part of most of the show, asked the Saban one question that’s been on his mind for years. White asked Saban if he would have tried to change his position from quarterback to defensive back, which was why White decided to attend West Virginia instead play for Saban at LSU.

“If he had to go to anywhere besides LSU, I’m glad he went to West Virginia and I was really really proud of the kind of performance that he had there,” said Saban when McAfee brought up the question White has been wanting to ask for a long time.

We are all VERY thankful that Pat White ended up at West Virginia..

We'll RUN THRU A WALL for you for the rest of your life #WVUPMSLive https://t.co/1XPVWlsjiZ pic.twitter.com/9yKGuBfQLE

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 30, 2024

Once asked, Saban responded by saying he would never have made White move positions. He then even said that he never made any player play a position they did not feel comfortable playing and only considered position changes if a player requested one for their own benefit.

"I damn sure recall that you were committed to us Pat White 😂😂

I would've never moved you from Quarterback unless you wanted to be moved" ~ Nick Saban#WVUPMSLive pic.twitter.com/zRThiDsPqo

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 30, 2024

The seven-time national champion head coach also praised West Virginia fans and the environment Penn State will experience.

“Morgantown is a hard place to play and the fans there have great passion. It’s gonna be very difficult for Penn State especially because it’s the opener,” said Saban.

When White, ironically an Alabama native, was coming out of high school and eventually became a member of WVU’s 2004 recruiting class, Saban was just wrapping up his time at LSU after winning a national championship for the Tigers in 2003. He would jump to the NFL to coach the Miami Dolphins before coming back to college to lead to Alabama to six national titles and cement his legacy as the most accomplished college football coach of all-time.

Kelsie LeRose / WVSN

Image credit to WVU Athletics

For a related story, WV Sports Now’s Mike Asti discussed WVU football’s back and forth relationship with its alumni back when Pat McAfee and Pat White coached in the annual spring game in April.