Alabama football is somewhat in flux exiting the 2018 season. Today we’re going to look at a few possible transfer portal entrants.
Coming out of the 2018 season, change has ruled in Tuscaloosa. Seven different on-field coaches from last season are gone and the mysterious transfer portal has several former Alabama football players looking for or already placed in new homes. Today we’re going to look at a few other possible portal entrants.
The transfer portal is a thing and the Alabama football program seems to be a proper springboard into said portal. The most famous transfer, of course, being Jalen Hurts who my Bama Hammer colleague, Lauri Springer, eloquently wrote about in January.
Jalen’s in Norman now and even though he hasn’t been our starter since the first half of the 2018 national title game, Bama Nation felt a collective lump in their throats when he officially made the move.
Hurts is a bit of an outlier, though, as players have always transferred out of the program under Nick Saban. Most of the time you have athletes frustrated by a lack of playing time or being dealt a cruel hand of incessant injuries. Along with Hurts, offensive lineman Richie Petitbon and defensive back Kyriq McDonald are on their way to new campuses. Petitbon will be playing for Lovie Smith at Illinois and McDonald’s landing spot is still to be decided.
Alabama football’s highest rated 2018 recruit and freshman OLB Eyabi Anoma did enter the transfer portal on Tuesday, but was apparently talked out of it by Saban the next day.
Every other Tide player remains on the team, however, things tend to take a little more shape following spring practice. We can only postulate theories about who might be entering the portal next and that’s what we’ll be doing right now.
Offensive Linemen, Elliot Baker, Hunter Brannon or Kendall Randolph
I almost added offensive tackle, Scott Lashley, but he’s one high ankle sprain away from being a starter so we’ll hold off on him for now.
Baker, Brannon and Randolph are in a sort of no man’s land, right now, and if none of them can crack the two-deep along Alabama football’s offensive line by the end of the spring, maybe all three head for greener pastures.
With Baker having graduated in December, I’m a little surprised he hasn’t already made the move, but at the end of the day, some guys are content and just want to finish where they started.
Brannon and Randolph were a part of the vaunted 2017 class of high school seniors that also produced current starters, Alex Leatherwood and Jedrick Wills. Brannon, who was arrested for a DUI back in October, may have too much to overcome if there’s any extra time he has to sit and Randolph, while a highly regarded recruit, has a little too much talent in front of him now.
If I had to guess two out of the three end up transferring before the 2019 season kicks off.
Wide receivers, Tyrell Shavers or Chadarius Townshend
Again, this is only speculation on who might enter the portal given the opportunities that they’ve accrued thus far.
Like Hunter Brannon and Kendall Randolph, Alabama football wideouts Tyrell Shavers and Chadarius Townshend, both former four-stars, had the unenviable task of trying to keep up with 2017 classmates, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III and Devonta Smith.
This would be a tall task for someone from the 2015 class let alone the same one. There’s been no indication from either camp they plan on leaving and it may still be early as both redshirted in 2017, but neither recorded a single stat from last year and were both usurped by true freshman Jaylen Waddle.
At the end of the day, only one will possibly leave.
Inside Linebacker, Ben Davis
Bama Nation has been calling this one for years. Even though his 2016 classmate Mack Wilson vacated one of the starting inside linebacker spots, former 5-star Ben Davis is fighting an uphill battle against an influx of talent around him.
Being shifted from inside to outside linebacker so many times makes one curious if it was all a little too much for the talented Alabama football legacy. He, obviously, looks the part, but three years in, it just hasn’t clicked.
If you look at all the players who registered a tackle in 2018, Davis’ name is nowhere to be found.
Tua has one more tackle than Davis.
Maybe things will finally slow down for him and he’ll be able to secure a spot next to Dylan Moses, but the easy money is on him transferring out after spring practice.
Defensive backs, Nigel Knott, Daniel Wright or Jared Mayden
2017 recruit McDonald having entered the portal, I have a feeling two more DBs will follow suit. The obvious choice, here, is Nigel Knott who is among the unfortunate injury-laden players who simply haven’t been able to catch up. The last two recruiting classes have brought in a total of nine former high school seniors, including five in 2019.
Knott, a member of the 2016 Alabama football class, has all the talent in the world but also has the law of numbers working against him. There are eleven guys still on the team who came to Tuscaloosa after him.
With Wright and Mayden, I believe that one of them is going to nail down the sixth spot in the secondary during the spring. Mayden played himself into that role last season. Wright’s injury took him out of that competition. Going forward, Mayden has the inside track based on last season’s experience. Coming out of spring, the backup sixth man could see the portal as a necessity.
This is the position group that could be hit the hardest by transfers. It also means a bunch of young guys will be competing hard for spots.
Loads of talent, fighting for a chance is a dream scenario if you’re Nick Saban. When youth trumps experience, the portal looks like an oasis in the desert.