Alabama Welcomes $900 Million Top Key Player To Set Up High Season…
You may be sitting there thinking, “Wait, didn’t we just go through this? Weren’t there a bunch of players who left the Alabama football program through the NCAA transfer portal at the end of the 2022 season?”
You may be sitting there thinking, “Wait, didn’t we just go through this? Weren’t there a bunch of players who left the Alabama football program through the NCAA transfer portal at the end of the 2022 season?”
Yes, we did. Many players from the Crimson Tide left school early to start bowl practices, giving themselves an early advantage in their next phase of careers. That’s why a large portion of Alabama’s depth had already left, which is why all the talk about the team not having anyone opt out for the Sugar Bowl game against Kansas State was so important.
But that wasn’t the end of it. The Crimson Tide had not finished spring practices, but as soon as the spring window opened on April 15, more players started to take leave. The transfer portal’s second round won’t end until the end of the month.
Combined with the numerous players who left for the NFL, the turnover could be heavy this offseason, especially with reserves looking for better playing opportunities elsewhere.
But it also goes both ways. Spring practices have given Nick Saban’s coaching staff the opportunity to asses and evaluate almost the entire Class of 2023 signings class, and pinpoint some areas where Alabama can try to add some immediate help.
BamaCentral will track the player movement throughout the offseason.
Last year the Crimson Tide added five transfers, with left tackle Tyler Steen, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Jermaine Burton all starting in 2022, and cornerback Eli Ricks starting when not dealing with an injury. Wide receiver Tyler Harrell spent most of the season dealing with an injury and has since resubmitted his name into the transfer portal.
Including walk-ons, the Crimson Tide had 20 departures in 2022, including linebacker Drew Sanders to Arkansas, Shane Lee to Southern California, and numerous players to Texas, although not all made it through the season with their new teams.
“I want to thank The University of Alabama for everything they’ve brought to my career for the past year,” Fegans posted to Twitter. “But with that being said I will be entering the transfer portal with four years of eligibility.”