The Transfer Portal Hits The Alabama Hard, With 21 Player Elected To Player Elsewhere…

He addressed reporters after Friday’s practice on the situation. DeBoer is excited for his first A-Day game for the Crimson Tide that is set for Saturday at 3 p.m. CT at Bryant-Denny Stadium. ESPN will have the call for the matchup. He has inherited a talented roster from Nick Saban, but DeBoer is interested at pursuing the portal for two positions.

“In the defensive backfield, we are probably a guy short,” DeBoer said. “Offensive line, we are probably a guy short. We will take a look and evaluate, but you never know there might be some guys from our roster that may surprise us as well. We just have to continue to be fluid, be ready to adjust, and continue to keep our eyes open on what’s out there when that time comes.”

Parker Brailsford, a transfer from Washington, came to Alabama as an offensive lineman. He played 15 games in 2023 at Washington, including 13 starts at center. Brailsford won’t play in Saturday’s exhibition, but he remains with the team.

We will see who could step up for the Tide on A-Day to prevent Alabama from using the portal.

The spring portal opens up next Monday.

Alabama guard Davin Cosby announced Friday evening on Instagram that he is entering the NCAA transfer portal.

Cosby becomes the third Alabama player to enter the transfer portal since Alabama lost in the national semifinal last Saturday to UConn, joining guard Rylan Griffen and forward Kris Parker.

Cosby was a four-star recruit in the 2023 high school class from North Carolina, ranked No. 131 nationally by 247 Sports. He enrolled early at Alabama in January 2023, and watched games from the Tide’s bench during its Sweet 16 run last season.

Alabama men’s basketball 2024 transfer portal, NBA draft tracker

Cosby made his debut this season, appearing in 22 games off the bench and averaging 7.8 minutes per contest. He shot 36.6% from the field and 34.4% on three-pointers, averaging 3.6 points per game. Much of his playing time came during non-conference games and late in the SEC regular season when Latrell Wrightsell Jr. was sidelined by a concussion. That included a February 28 win at Ole Miss when Cosby scored 15 points in 13 minutes, including 5-of-10 three-point shooting.

However, Cosby broke his foot before the NCAA tournament and was not available for Alabama’s Final Four run even as Wrightsell was again sidelined two-and-a-half games by a head injury.

Alabama’s backcourt next season could return Latrell Wrightsell, while Mark Sears has a fifth year available if he does not turn professional. Alabama has already added one guard through the transfer portal in Pepperdine’s Houston Mallette. Incoming freshman Naas Cunninghan, who is 6-foot-7, has also been described by coach Nate Oats as a “big guard” who potentially could join Alabama’s backcourt rotation next season.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama’s A-Day spring game, set for Saturday at 3 p.m. CT at Bryant-Denny Stadium, will be an offense vs. defense format, coach Kalen DeBoer said Thursday after the Crimson Tide’s 14th spring practice.

Score will be kept for both sides of the ball. The offense will score via touchdowns and field goals. The defense will score based via big plays, like sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions, etc. Whoever scores the most points at the end wins.

Full details on how both sides of the ball can score weren’t revealed Thursday, but DeBoer explained that he hopes A-Day will operate like the previous scrimmages and practices from this past spring.

“Format for the spring game will be offense vs. defense,” he said. “We won’t have divided teams. Couple of reasons, number one, I like to look at it as practice No. 15. We’ll see a lot of great scrimmaging out there, but it’s a chance for us to get better, a chance for us to take the next step, a chance for us to evaluate.

“We’ll really get down to the bare bones of playing some football.”

A-Day will air on ESPN for those who can’t attend. For those who can, gates open at 12 p.m. and admission is free to the public. The first 5,000 fans will receive a limited-edition A-Day poster.

At 1 p.m., former head coach Nick Saban as well as Jalen Milroe and Malachi Moore, will address fans at the Walk of Fame Ceremony at Denny Chimes, then leave their hand and cleat prints in the concrete. The Walk of Champions will be at 1:50 p.m.

DeBoer is excited to see the fans on Saturday and expects a large crowd for A-Day.

“It gives us a chance to celebrate what we’re doing and where we’re at and enjoy the moment with the fans,” DeBoer said Thursday. “Excited to see a packed stadium there and looking forward to seeing everyone come and support the program.”

Previously, under Nick Saban, A-Day consisted of the roster being divided into two teams, Crimson and White. One had the first-team offense and second-team defense while the other had the first-team defense and second-team offense. Actual stats for both teams were kept electronically. The team that scored the most won.

Last season, Team Crimson beat Team White, 30-21. Justice Haynes scored three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving, for Team Crimson while Jalen Milroe scored three touchdowns, two passing and one rushing, for Team White.

College football spring action has hit its peak as 19 teams from Power Four conferences take the field for their spring game Saturday. We’ve gathered storylines and television info for eight of the weekend’s biggest games: Florida, Miami, LSU, Penn State, Tennessee, Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama.

The Big Ten’s spring games will air on the Big Ten Network, while the Big 12, ACC, and SEC will appear on ESPN streaming affiliates. The Pac-12 doesn’t officially dissolve until July, meaning conference membership still stands at 12. Those teams will have their spring games aired on the Pac-12 Network.

Alabama is the only school to have its spring game aired on ESPN’s main cable network. Intrigue in the Crimson Tide is high after Nick Saban retired this offseason, ushering in the Kalen DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa. Viewers will get a first glimpse at the Crimson Tide’s new-look roster and how the team is operating under a new staff.

The Gators ranked No. 122 nationally in yards allowed per play, No. 101 in sacks and No. 132 in turnovers forced last season, leading Billy Napier to make three position-coach switches this offseason. Florida lost a handful of talent in the portal but brought in seven defensive transfers to help mitigate the losses. How those new pieces manage to mesh will determine Florida’s ceiling this year, and fans will get an early progress report during Saturday’s spring game.

Miami hopes transfer quarterback Cam Ward can put the Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff conversation this fall. He’s only received positive reports from camp, but Saturday’s spring game will shed light on how good he actually looks in Shannon Dawson’s offense.

“The biggest storyline regarding Miami’s spring game has to be Cam Ward and how he’s meshing within Shannon Dawson’s offense,” InsideTheU’s Gaby Urrutia said. “All spring, we’ve heard that Ward has more than met expectations with the way he’s handled himself both on and off the field. As good as he’s been on the field as far as being the clear cut guy for Miami, he’s done an excellent job of being a leader and earning trust. What we want to see is some fireworks, and I think that we will get a taste of how explosive Miami’s offense can be on Saturday in a setting that should create opportunities for big plays.”

LSU ranked No. 108 in total defense last season, forcing head coach Brian Kelly to clean house. How the Tigers’ new-look defense operates under coordinator Blake Baker is the biggest storyline heading into the spring game.

“Last year’s defensive staff at LSU left a lot of meat on the bone,” Late Kick host Josh Pate said. “There are good defensive players at LSU who didn’t emerge last season but will emerge this year. If that defensive staff fails, it won’t be for lack of quality or lack of trying. The feedback we’re getting from spring ball is that they’ll have some defensive players emerge this season.”

Penn State ranked No. 81 in the nation in yards per play (5.46) last season and replaced offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich with Andy Kotelnicki in a bid to get more explosive. The team added former five-star recruit and Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming via the transfer portal. Word from camp is that Fleming is having a strong spring. Georgia transfer AJ Harris, the portal’s No. 2 cornerback, has also earned reviews. The two portal additions will be names to watch during the spring game.

Tennessee’s production at wide receiver dipped last year after the team lost veterans Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman to the NFL. The Volunteers invested heavily in the position this offseason, signing four-star receivers Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley out of the high school ranks and adding former Tulane star Chris Brazell II via the transfer portal. Word from camp is the trio of newcomers is already pushing returnees Dont’e Thornton and Squirrel White for playing time. How Tennessee’s new-look receiving corp operates under starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava headlines the Volunteers’ spring game storylines.

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard is arguably under more pressure than any player in the nation this fall. He’s coming off a strong season at Kansas State but has struggled at times in spring practice, while freshman Julian Sayin has soared, according to team sources. Buckeyes fans will get a glimpse at who is really standing out at the quarterback position Saturday.

Camp sources have raved over the potential of Georgia’s offense with Carson Beck back under center next season. The Bulldogs lost several key offensive pieces this offseason, including pass-catchers Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey, but added three wide receivers and a tight end via the transfer portal. Former Miami wideout Colbie Young has turned heads at camp and will be a name to keep an eye on during the Bulldogs’ spring game.

College football fans nationwide are curious to see how Alabama looks under Kalen DeBoer in the post-Nick Saban era. ESPN handed the Crimson Tide a prime slot for its spring game, and you can expect the event to draw a national audience. Does Alabama’s offense improve under DeBoer’s play-calling? Will the defense withstand the talent exodus this offseason? How does the new staff handle practice compared to Saban’s regime? Saturday’s spring game will help uncover answers.