Everything is still in front of Alabama in the 2025 season. The Iron Bowl presents the Crimson Tide with a win-and-in scenario for the SEC Title Game, and presumably for the College Football Playoff. Yet, there is still at least a touch of uncertainty surrounding the future of the program as rumors swirl about Penn State’s interest in Kalen DeBoer.
Let’s assume Alabama wins on Saturday, potentially a dangerous assumption ahead of a night game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Still, it’s a 5-6 Auburn team down to an interim head coach, so it’s reasonable to operate under the assumption that Alabama wins, makes the CFP, and Kalen DeBoer stays put in Tuscaloosa.
Living in that world, there are still a few underclassmen who probably won’t be back for the Crimson Tide in 2026. In the transfer portal era, there are always more than a few, but these are some of the most likely candidates (with remaining eligibility) for either the portal or the NFL Draft.
The former five-star has just never carved out a role in Tuscaloosa, and it felt like this season, with a position change from linebacker to defensive lineman under his belt, was his last chance to establish himself. Yet, through the first 11 games of the season, even with injuries to starters, Keeley has found himself buried on the depth chart.
Some program will bet on Keeley’s recruiting pedigree in the transfer portal as a low-risk reclamation project, and that’s Keeley’s best path to meaningful playing time for his final two seasons of eligibility.
DeBoer and Ryan Grubb have struggled all season to activate a reliable run game, and while that’s a multi-faceted issue, the lack of explosiveness in the backfield is playing a significant part. The coaching staff has given just about everyone on the roster a shot to grab hold of the starting job in the backfield, and Young has turned his 23 carries into just 64 yards.
Alabama could do a full backfield overhaul this offseason, with Jam Miller out of eligibility, and no bona fide star ready to take his place. Even if the Tide stands relatively pat at running back, Young figures to be the odd man out.
A 2023 4-star, ranking outside the top 300 according to 247Sports Composite, Hubbard was not the highly-touted recruit that Caleb Downs was, but had Downs stayed in Tuscaloosa, the two would have made one heck of a safety tandem. Hubbard, like Downs, has emerged as one of the best safeties in the country, with 53 tackles, eight pass breakups, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles.
He may not be the best athlete in the country, but he’s an excellent football player, and one that could catch the eye of the NFL. He’s far from a guarantee to make the jump after his junior season, and wouldn’t be a first-round selection, but he may still be eager to kick off his professional career.
From the first day he arrived in Tuscaloosa, it was clear that Kadyn Proctor was a future NFL player. Now, after his third season, he’ll almost definitely declare for the 2026 NFL Draft and have first-round grades by many NFL teams.
Still a hulking presence, Proctor has cut down his weight a bit this season, enough to be rewarded with offensive touches by DeBoer and Grubb, and that’s allowed him to be even more impactful and versatile as a run defender. Supersized offensive tackles haven’t always been the most reliable bet in the NFL, but it’s a bet NFL teams are consistently willing to make.
If Ty Simpson declares for the 2026 NFL Draft, he’ll be doing so with at most 17 starts under his belt and potentially as few as 12. That’s an alarmingly small sample size, especially compared to COVID-era quarterbacks who, with extra years of eligibility, amassed over 50 or even 60 starts at the collegiate level.
Still, Simpson’s talent will likely be too alluring for teams to pass on in the first round. His timing and anticipation are elite; he’s an accurate downfield thrower, even under pressure, and his tape is littered with NFL throws. Particularly after seeing the slide of Cade Klubnik, Garrett Nussmeier, and Drew Allar, who all returned despite varying degrees of draft buzz last year, only to see their stock plummet, if Simpson gets word, he’ll be off the board in Round 1; he should leave for the pros.