With the opening of the transfer portal on Monday, there are plenty of intriguing players that the Alabama Football team may target to fill any needs. The Alabama Football team has done this plenty of times in the past landing players like Jameson Williams, Jermaine Burton, and Jahmyr Gibbs who filled big holes for the team while having a big impact. This offseason the Alabama Football team will have plenty of big holes to fill as they’ll likely lose two edge rushers, two cornerbacks, and a few players we may not expect to the draft or transfer portal.
The Alabama Football team has already seen a few departures from the program to the transfer portal creating depth needs for 2024. The Crimson Tide have lost Tyler Buchner, Thaiu Jones-Bell, Ja’Corey Brooks, and a few other depth pieces to the portal with more on the horizon once the season wraps up.
Alabama Football: Attractive location for offensive talent
The Alabama Football team will be one of if not the most attractive destinations for offensive talent in the country. With Jalen Milroe coming off of a sixth-place Heisman finish he’ll enter 2024 as a Heisman favorite and will be an exciting player for transfer targets to play with. While the Crimson Tide won’t be in on the races for quarterback replacements they’ll be a top landing spot for running backs, wide receivers, and offensive linemen.
Defensively the Crimson Tide will need to make a push for edge rushers and cornerbacks as they’ll lose two players at each position to the NFL Draft. Of all the needs this offseason pass rushers are the most glaring need as Dallas Turner, Chris Braswell, and many others will need to be replaced to continue this stretch of impressive defensive football. The Alabama Football team has a few interesting options in younger players to fill roles at cornerback although, you’d prefer to add some veteran experience in the defensive back room.
Walter Nolen – Texas A&M – Defensive Lineman
The former No. 1 recruit in Jimbo Fisher’s top-ranked 2022 class will be transferring out of Texas A&M. Nolen recorded 37 tackles, 4 sacks, and 8.5 tackles for a loss in 2023. Landing Nolen would be a massive get for the Alabama Football team as they’ll need to replace pass rush production.
The Alabama Football team will lose its top two pass rushers to the NFL Draft as both Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell are expected to be first-round picks. The duo combined for 17 sacks this season for the Alabama Football team. The team will also most likely lose Justin Eboigbe who ranks third on the team with seven sacks. Outside of the trio of departing players, there are not any players with significant pass rush success.
Losing as many experienced pass rushers as Alabama will do makes bringing in an experienced rusher or two all the more important and makes Nolen an attractive option.
Fadil Diggs – Texas A&M – Defensive Line
Like Walter Nolen, Fadil Diggs was once a top recruit that signed with Texas A&M though, Diggs was a part of the 2020 recruiting class. Diggs has seven career sacks with four coming throughout this season. Diggs and Nolen are the type of players you go out and get in the transfer portal and immediately slot in as starters from day one. I fully expect Nick Saban and the coaching staff to land at least one proven player at the pass rusher position to raise the floor of the pass rush room in 2024.
Chase Bisontis – Texas A&M – Offensive Line
Bisontis will be one of the most heavily pursued players of everyone who entered the Transfer Portal. A true freshman with a 6’6 320-pound frame Bisontis was named a freshman All-American and has three years of eligibility left. The amount of talent leaving Texas A&M makes it shocking they finished 7-5 despite all this talent. This comes as Walter Nolen, Fadil Diggs, Chase Bisontis, potentially Evan Stewart, and many other former four- and five-star recruits hit the transfer portal.
The offensive line for Alabama Football was a concern this season for the Alabama Football team although they ended up getting the job done late in the season. With the expected departures of right tackle JC Latham and Center Seth McLaughlin, I’d look at Bisontis as a potential player to replace either player. Bisontis’ size and frame make him a viable candidate for any position along the offensive line and he could be a plug-and-play player from day one.
The Alabama Football team will have plenty of replacement options with Elijiah Pritchett the likely candidate at right tackle while James Brockermeyer may be the future center. The offensive line will likely return three of its five starters for 2024 but, adding a player as talented as Chase Bisontis could elevate this group to one of the top units in the country.
Nyland Green – Georgia – Cornerback
Despite the rivalry, a few Georgia Bulldogs have flipped their allegiances to play for the Alabama Football team as Nick Saban landed Jermaine Burton and Trezmen Marshall. Nyland Green is the type of player Nick Saban should try and add as he did the current duo. Green was one of the top-ranked corners in the 2021 class but, hasn’t quite caught on in a talented Georgia defense. This season Green recorded only seven tackles and one pass breakup with most of his playing time coming on Special Teams.
The Alabama Football team will have massive holes to fill at cornerback as it’s expected both Kool-Aid Mckinstry and Terrion Arnold will depart for the NFL Draft. Mckinstry and Arnold have become one of the nation’s top duos and are one of the biggest reasons this Alabama Football team has succeeded.
Losing two players of such a high caliber at any position is concerning and it becomes alarming when a majority of the depth at the position hasn’t played a bunch. Adding a talented player like Green with some experience to go with it would give Nick Saban and the coaching staff another talented player who could earn a starting role at corner in 2024.
Wide Receiver help for Jalen Milroe
With Jalen Milroe returning as a potential Heisman candidate in 2024, the excitement level for Alabama Football will be high. Along with Milroe returning will be Isaiah Bond, Kendrick Law, and Kobe Prentice. The trio of wide receivers is super talented but, they lack significant size with all three of them listed as 5’10. There are a couple of wide receivers in the portal that would bring talent, size, and experience to the wide receiver room.
The first interesting option is Ohio State’s Julian Fleming, the former Buckeye was the fourth-ranked prospect overall in the 2020 recruiting class. The only thing that’s slowed down Fleming over his time at Ohio State has been injuries. At 6’2 Fleming would give Milroe a bigger target for 2024 while also adding a high upside player for 2024.
The most interesting option is Texas A&M wide receiver Evan Stewart. The Aggie has yet to enter the transfer portal however, it’s been heavily rumored that he will enter the transfer portal. It’s unclear what Stewart’s current intentions are. If the former five-star receiver enters the transfer portal he’s a must-get for Nick Saban and the Alabama Football team.
The Alabama Football team may not need as much help at wide receiver as originally planned as top WR recruit Ryan Williams reclassified from the class of 2025 to 2024. The Crimson Tide did lose Ja’Corey Brooks and Thaiu Jones-Bell to the transfer portal which eliminates some of the depth in the receiver room for 2024.
Note: Transfer information via 247 Sports.