Ohio State lineman Seth McLaughlin went on to become a major piece for the Buckeyes’ offensive line in the 2024 campaign. Now, he’s heading to the 2025 NFL Draft, but he didn’t forget the many people who helped him along his college football journey.

On Saturday, McLaughlin officially bid farewell to college football, and he made sure to thank Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide program. The center began his career in Tuscaloosa as a member of the 2020 national championship team, going on to record starts at center across the 2021-23 seasons before leaving for Columbus.

“I want to thank Coach Saban for giving me a chance to play college football as well as the opportunity to win 3 SEC Championships, 1 National Championship and have 3 Playoff appearances,” wrote McLaughlin.

He went on to thank Ryan Day and Ohio State’s o-line coach, Justin Frye, for believing in him enough to bring him to Ohio State. Unfortunately, McLaughlin was unable to finish the year on the field after a season-ending injury, but he had a strong performance before going down.

It will be interesting to see how McLaughlin’s injury impacts his NFL future, but he was named 1 of 3 finalists for the Rimington Trophy this season which is annually given to the top center in the country.

McLaughlin leaves college football as a 2-time national champion. While he played in 3 Playoff runs, he was a part of 4 total Playoff appearances throughout his career.