In response to a general question about his recruiting philosophy, Alabama football coach Nick Saban said on his weekly radio show Thursday night, "We don't negative recruit."

However, Saban hinted that others do.

He said when high school athletes commit to Alabama as juniors, the Tide becomes a target.

"Every coach who comes and talks to them talks about Alabama," Saban said, adding that the coach might tell the player how they aren't going to play for the Crimson Tide.

Saban said it bothers him when players switch commitments.

"We don't really care when they decide where they want to go," he said. "Because we don't put any pressure on you, your commitment should mean something. When you commit, we don't want to have any of these changes."

Saban said Alabama has too many selling points to need negative recruiting: grade-point average, number of guys drafted by the NFL and guys who make NFL teams.

"There are some of these big-time, five-star guys who have told me they're going somewhere else," Saban said.

"I tell them I feel bad about that. You need us more than we need you. Most time, those guys don't make it because they didn't have the structure they need to be successful. … That's something we do well here as a university is we provide structure so you can be successful."

No No. 2 QB

Saban again declined to say whether sophomore Blake Sims or redshirt freshman Phillip Ely is the second-team quarterback behind AJ McCarron.

"They both have different things they do well," Saban said.

"Rather than say one is No. 2 and the other is No. 3, we just say they both have things they can do to help us."

Ex-Tide player update

Former Alabama cornerback Travell Dixon has transferred to Washington.

Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian announced the transfer in a release Tuesday. Dixon played at Eastern Arizona College for two seasons before enrolling at Alabama in January. He went through spring practice but left the squad in August.

He will sit out the season and have two years of eligibility remaining.