Ellis Ponder, key Nick Saban deputy, to leave Alabama
Ellis Ponder, who has served as Alabama’s associate athletics director for strategic operations and was a key figure under Nick Saban, is reportedly leaving the university, according to AL.com’s Nick Kelly. He is set to join prominent sports agent Jimmy Sexton at CAA. 
Ponder began his career with Alabama as a student assistant from 2006-2011 before transitioning to event management with the Bruno Event Team, where he handled events like the Regions Tradition and BMW Championship. In 2015, he returned to Alabama as associate director of football operations, overseeing team travel, logistics, and daily operations. By 2017, he had risen to the role of football director of operations, becoming an essential confidant to Saban.
After Saban’s retirement before the 2024 season, Ponder remained in his position under head coach Kalen DeBoer before taking on a broader role within Alabama’s athletics department.
In 2024, Alabama finished with a 9-4 record under DeBoer, narrowly missing out on the College Football Playoff. The team is looking to improve in 2025, with a new quarterback under center.
DeBoer has indicated that Ty Simpson is currently the frontrunner for the starting quarterback position, although the competition will continue through training camp. Simpson, entering his redshirt junior year after spending two seasons behind Jalen Milroe, is poised to take on the QB1 role this season.
DeBoer noted that Simpson’s reps will likely mirror those from the spring, where he split time with Austin Mack and freshman Keelon Russell. As camp progresses, the coaching staff will assess the quarterbacks to determine if any player clearly separates themselves from the others.
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