Report: Ellis Ponder, key Nick Saban deputy, to leave Alabama

Ellis Ponder, Alabama’s associate athletics director for strategic operations who was a key deputy under Nick Saban, is set to leave the university, AL.com’s Nick Kelly reported. He is expected to join super agent Jimmy Sexton at CAA.

Ponder was a Crimson Tide student assistant from 2006-11 before helping organize multiple events in Alabama. He then joined the Bruno Event Team, where he managed events such as the Regions Tradition and BMW Championship.

In 2015, Ponder returned to Alabama as associate director of football operations, where he oversaw team travel, logistics and the program’s day-to-day operations. In 2017, he became the Crimson Tide’s football director of operations and became a key confidant under Saban.

Following the legendary coach’s retirement ahead of the 2024 season, Ponder stayed on in his role under Kalen DeBoer. He then moved to a broader role in the athletics department, according to AL.com.

Alabama is coming off a 9-4 record in DeBoer’s first season at the helm, just missing out on the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide are now looking to take a step forward in 2025, though a new quarterback will be under center.

DeBoer has said Ty Simpson is the frontrunner to become the starting quarterback as the competition continues into training camp. Simpson is gearing up for his redshirt junior season in Tuscaloosa after sitting behind Jalen Milroe for two seasons, and he’s on track to get his shot as QB1 this coming season.

As for whether Simpson will get similar reps to what he saw in the spring as he split with Austin Mack and freshman Keelon Russell, DeBoer said that will be the case to start. From there, it’ll come down to seeing if there’s clear separation from the rest of the pack.

“We’ll start out pretty consistent with probably how we finished the spring,” DeBoer said after the first practice. “And again, Keelon’s reps continue to build up from what it was in spring, where he was primarily with the threes and fours.

“But here early on, you’re just installing and you’re trying to give each quarterback, along with each other position and player, the reps of the install. And then once you get past that first kind of round of installs, then you really start kind of probably dialing it in at that time. But we’ll play it by ear as we go, because if someone separates themselves, one, two guys, then you do make adjustments along the way.”