The Indiana Convention Center is 534 miles away from Alabama’s practice facility, and even further from Nick Saban’s grip on what players say inside the building.

Making a declaration about who will win next season’s national championship would never fly in Tuscaloosa, but for players who have graduated from the program and are participating in the NFL combine this week, it is fair game.

Former Alabama tight end Cameron Latu offered his clear-cut opinion Friday.

“I wish them all the best,” he said of his former teammates. “They’re gonna win the natty next year.”

The proclamation came when Latu was asked about which Alabama players to watch in 2023, after 13 starters departed the team to enter the NFL draft next month. Latu could not narrow his list down.

“I couldn’t even tell you, man,” he said. “The whole team. I can’t even name one, because everybody is my guys over there.”

After missing the College Football Playoff last season, Alabama enters the 2023 season not in their familiar position as title favorites. That belongs to Georgia, which has the shortest odds on major sports books to win the national title game next January in Houston. The Tide, though, has the second-shortest odds on most books.

“They’re hungry for it,” Latu said when asked why he is confident about Alabama in 2023. “We just came off a [national championship game] loss, in 2021. In 2022, came off two losses. Them boys are hungry.”

Linebacker Henry To’o To’o was optimistic, as well.

“There’s a lot of guys that are gonna be able to contribute and get back to where Alabama should be,” he said. “We didn’t do a great job of that last year, but I think our guys are gonna do a great job of that this year.”

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.