DeVonta Smith says it will never be Auburn football program's time on top during Cam Newton's podcast

DeVonta Smith went on Cam Newton's "4th & 1" podcast and disgraced the Auburn football legend's alma mater to his face, much in the same way C.J. Stroud did the previous week; though the former Heisman WR did it with far more class.

Smith told Newton, after Superman said that it was Auburn's time, that "it will never be Auburn's time."

"Nah," Smith prefaced before saying, "Ain't gone never be y'alls time man. Ain't gone never be y'alls time, man."

Newton fired back by saying without Saban, it's possible, adding, "I know y'all don't go to school over there at Alabama."

Smith's Tide split the Iron Bowl series 2-2 when he was at Alabama, losing both games that were played at Jordan-Hare Stadium during his career in 2017 and 2019. The gap between the schools has widened in the years since Smith's departure, with the Bryan Harsin era setting the program back in Saban's final years before retiring.

Kalen DeBoer is a proven winner, but Auburn football has critical opening to claim the state

It's possible that Kalen DeBoer's Alabama team is better than Auburn in the former Washington coach's first year in Tuscaloosa, but Newton is absolutely right: now is the time for the Tigers to make up ground on the Tide.

Saban was a white whale for Alabama, proving to be the first coach since Gene Stallings to guide the Tide to any meaningful success. It could take another decade for that dominant coach to emerge in west-central Alabama if the "Husky Harsin" prophecy continues to self-fulfill for DeBoer. Early returns are showing similar patterns.

Hugh Freeze by and large out-recruited Saban for the best of the best recruits in the state of Alabama this offseason, and there's every reason to think he can do that again in the future. Perhaps more often than not.

There's no guarantee that it will be Auburn's time. But Smith shouldn't be so sure it won't be.