Losing players to the transfer portal is normal in today's era of college athletics, but with a coaching change such a loss could significantly impact his numbers as players seek fresh starts. there is a possibility.
For the University of Alabama, the retirement of legendary head coach Nick Saban has opened a floodgate of portals as a flurry of players choose not to stick with new head coach Karen DeBoer's tenure. Between the winter and spring portal windows, Alabama had a total of 39 scholarship and walk-on players transfer from the program. But despite these losses, as new talent comes to Tuscaloosa, DeBoer and his new staff have made 14 moves to supplement the No. 2 recruiting class in the country.
To summarize all the moves, below is a position-by-position breakdown of what Alabama lost and gained through the transfer portal at each position ahead of the 2024 football season.
Location – Austin Mack (Washington)
Out – Julian Sain, Eli Holstein, Tyler Buchner
The movement in the quarterback room was as expected. Holstein and Buchner were both backups, and with Ty Simpson deciding not to enter the portal himself, there wasn't much room for them on the depth chart.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the passing of Tuscaloosa signal-caller and promising five-star early enrollee Julian Sain. In his place, DeBoer brought in Austin Mack from Washington. He's a 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman with the build of an NFL quarterback. He won't be on the field in 2024, but he could be Coach DeBoer's quarterback in the future.
Inside – None
Out – Roydell Williams, Darian Claiborne
The only major loss in the running back room was Roydell Williams, who got about the same amount of snaps as starter Jace McClellan last season. However, his departure means the keys to the backfield will be handed over to the young duo of Jam Miller and Justice Haynes. These two are former high school standouts who have the potential to be one of the best backfield duos in college football.
– Jermie Bernard (Washington)
Out – Isaiah Bond, Malik Benson, Jacorey Brooks, Shaz Preston, Tyu Jones-Bell, Sawyer Dearman, Hayden Neighbors, Andre Craig.
The pass-catching room took some hits, most notably starters Isaiah Bonds and Malik Benson leaving for another school. Bernard is already familiar with DeBoer's offense from his two years in Washington and is expected to be an immediate hit. Alabama still has a wealth of talented wide receivers, but the question will be who will break out of the pack and get the majority of the snaps.
– Josh Cuevas (Washington)
“Out” – Amari Niblack, Miles Kisselman
The loss of pass-catching tight end Amari Niblack is disappointing for DeBoer's offense, especially given his sky-high potential, but as Mentino pointed out in the wide receiver section, this team There's no shortage of talent on the perimeter.
Cuevas, another transfer from Washington, caught four passes and scored a touchdown for the Huskies last season and will provide meaningful depth behind returning starter CJ Dipres. .
Playing – Kadin Proctor (Iowa), Parker Brailsford (Washington), Geno Vandemark (Michigan State), Naquil Bertrand (Texas A&M)
Out – Kadin Proctor, Seth McLaughlin, TJ Ferguson, James Brockermeyer
Yes, you read that name correctly on both lines. Kaydin Proctor committed to Iowa during the winter transfer portal and spent the spring in the Midwest before committing to the Crimson Tide. He will likely retain his starting spot at left tackle as the third returning starter on the offensive line.
Brailsford played center for Washington last year and was a Joe Moore Award-winning offensive lineman. With the departures of former centers McLaughlin, Ferguson and Brockermeyer, he is expected to be replaced as the starting center.
Geno Vandemark and Naquil Beltran are both likely to be a force this season, but each has at least two years of eligibility remaining, so they could have a chance to start in the future.
In – LT Overton (Texas A&M)
Out – Isaiah Hastings, Curtis Perry, Monkel Goodwine, Anquin Barnes
The defensive line returns a ton of talent to strengthen the front seven, as the only losses are players who have yet to play meaningful snaps in their Crimson Tide careers. The addition of LT Overton is a welcome addition. The former five-star player is on a young team with only two years of eligibility remaining.
Inside – None
Out – Sean Murphy, Kendrick Blacksher, Ian Jackson
There were no additions at linebacker, just a few players who hadn't yet found an opportunity to be on the field over several seasons in Tuscaloosa. Depth is a bit of a question mark, but Deonte Lawson and Jihad Campbell are poised to be one of the best linebacker duos in the SEC, and perhaps in the country.
Participating – Domani Jackson (USC), King Mack (Penn State), Keon Sabu (Michigan State), Kameron Howard (Charlotte), Dashawn Jones (Wake Forest)
Out – Caleb Downs, Antonio Kite, Dez Ricks, Trey Amos, Jamia Grimsley, Earl Little II, Christian Story, Jake Pope, Peyton Woodyard, Tony Mitchell.
The second is where the greatest displacement occurred. Ten different defensive backs have moved on, including guaranteed starters Caleb Downs and Trey Amos, as well as other players with a chance to compete for the starting spot.
In the portal, Alabama brought in former five-star Domani Jackson from USC. He will likely serve as one of the starting corner spots. The other player is likely Dashaun Jones, who will transfer to Wake Forest. Other than returning captain Malachi Moore, every other position on the back end appears to be up for grabs.
Michigan transfer safety Keon Sabu is expected to be an immediate hit, while the additions of Penn State safety King Mack and Charlotte safety Kameron Howard provide good depth.
The loss of Downs may be the biggest loss of the entire offseason as he was supposed to be one of the best players in college football, but DeBoer and his staff are unable to fill the hole in the secondary. did a great job. Provides a rich talent pool to build upon.
– Graham Nicholson (Miami, Ohio)
Out – Aptan Berenfant, Reid Haradin, Brock O’Quinn
There are no major losses in the portal on the special teams side, but there is one big addition. After losing kicker Will Reichard, college football's all-time leading scorer, to the NFL Draft, Alabama selected kicker Graham Nicholson from Miami (Ohio). Nicholson won the Lou Groza Award for college football's best kicker last season, so there won't be a major drop-off in the Crimson Tide's kicking game this season.
