Alabama Football: Summer enrollees added to official roster

Alabama Football has added summer enrollees and late transfers to its official roster on the team website. This means that the online roster is complete barring any late exits.

Bama’s loaded 2023 recruiting class, which ranked first in the nation by a substantial margin and is considered the second-best class of all-time, is finally on campus in its entirety. The class consisted of 28 total signees, which included four summer enrollees.

Alabama Football: Meet the summer enrollees

5-star edge rusher Keon Keeley was the highest-ranked player in Alabama’s 2023 class, and the no. 3 overall recruit nationally. He has the physical tools to play from day one, but will open fall camp behind seasoned veterans such as Dallas Turner, Chris Braswell, and Quandarrius Robinson.

Keeley presents a matchup problem for opposing offenses at 6’5” and 242 pounds with athleticism to spare, and figures to be a star at Bama sooner or later.

How much confidence does the Alabama coaching staff have in Keon Keeley’s abilities? He will be wearing Will Anderson Jr.’s no. 31 jersey coming off the edge this fall.

Another 5-star edge rusher, Yhonzae Pierre was one of the most exciting class of 2023 signees for Alabama. Pierre was a late bloomer, skyrocketing up the rankings in his senior year. By the time signing day rolled around, the Eufaula product (and cousin of former Bama standout Courtney Upshaw) was considered one of the best players in the country.

He has an incredibly high ceiling as a pass rusher, and will join fellow 5-star Keon Keeley to push for time in a stacked edge room at Alabama. Pierre comes in at 6’3”, 223 pounds, and will wear no. 42 this season.

4-star running back Richard Young’s arrival on campus was highly anticipated as well. Although he slipped in the rankings towards the end of the 2023 cycle, Young was widely considered a 5-star and one of the nation’s elite running backs throughout his high school career.

At 5’11” and 200 pounds, he already possesses an SEC-ready body, and will wear no. 25 for Bama his freshman year.

Alabama Football has a crowded backfield, and Young comes in at the bottom of the totem pole ready to work his way up. Fellow true freshman running back Justice Haynes already made waves in the spring; can Richard Young come in and do the same?

Last but not least, kicker Conor Talty joins the Tide after being ranked as the no. 2 kicker in the country in the 2023 class. Talty will have the opportunity to sit and learn behind a Bama legend in Will Reichard this season. The presumed kicker of the future will also wear no. 31 for the Crimson Tide.

Alabama Football: Meet the latest transfer additions

Notre Dame transfer quarterback Tyler Buchner joins the Crimson Tide as a redshirt sophomore. Buchner is listed at 6’1” and 215 pounds, and will wear jersey no. 8 for the Tide this fall. When fall camp commences, Buchner will continue to engage in Bama’s highly-publicized three-way quarterback battle alongside Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson. No one in this group appears to have separated themselves at this point.

Bama also added a pair of veteran defensive backs late in the transfer portal cycle.

Jaylen Key entered the portal after having a breakout 2022 season at UAB, eventually choosing to play for Alabama Football. Key is a big DB at 6’2” and 210 pounds, and will likely compete for playing time at safety and in the nickel. The graduate student will wear no. 22 for Bama this season.

Trey Amos transferred to Alabama from Louisiana, and projects to play cornerback in Tuscaloosa. Many expect him to compete with redshirt sophomore Terrion Arnold for the starting spot opposite preseason All-American Kool-Aid McKinstry. Amos, a senior, is listed at 6’1” and 197 pounds and will don no. 23 for the Tide.

It will be interesting to see which of these summer enrollees can make an impact this fall. This group is slightly behind the 8-ball after missing out on spring practices and scrimmages, but the talent here is undeniable.

Having the official roster finalized means we are just that much closer to the kickoff of the 2023 college football season. Roll Tide!