5 Alabama players already on transfer watch before the 2025 season even kicks off

Fall camp position battles could send these players out the door.
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Austin Mack (10)
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Austin Mack (10) | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The frustrating reality of the transfer portal is that it works both ways. So while Kalen DeBoer and Courtney Morgan can feel excitement about offseason additions like wide receiver Isaiah Horton from Miami or linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green from Colorado, Alabama’s staff also has to spend much of fall camp finalizing replacements for outgoing transfers like Elijah Pritchett or Justice Haynes. 

There may not be 25 outgoing transfers as there were this time around, but next offseason will once again bring about the inevitable roster churn of modern college football. The seeds are often planted for those outgoing transfers early in the year, maybe as early as fall camp. So, even before Alabama’s 2025 season gets underway, these five players should already be on transfer watch. 

A 2024 five-star recruit, Jaylen Mbakwe was the No. 2 overall cornerback in the class and found his way onto the field for 221 snaps as a true freshman. Then, shockingly, he forced a position change to wide receiver and stuck behind Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard, slid down the depth chart. 

Mbakwe played just six offensive snaps in the ReliaQuest Bowl loss to Michigan and enters the season at best as the No. 4 option on the outside with Williams, Bernard, and Horton entrenched in starting roles. If he slips even further, behind longtime wide receivers Rico Scott, Cole Adams, and Cole Adams, then he could be heading for the transfer portal after the 2025 season, or redshirt to preserve his eligibility for his next program. 

When Austin Mack followed DeBoer from Washington, he knew he’d likely have to sit and watch behind Jalen Milroe for a year, but he likely didn’t anticipate potentially being the third-string quarterback for the Crimson Tide in 2025. 

Mack is technically still an option in Alabama’s three-way QB battle with Ty Simpson and Keelon Russell, but Simpson is the clear frontrunner for the job, and as the No. 2 overall QB in the 2025 recruiting class, Russell’s potential is undeniable. The five-star freshman is the type of talent who can force an entire position group to clear out, and that could be the case this offseason. 

Like Mbakwe, fellow former five-star Keon Keeley is another member of the Crimson Tide who underwent a position change this offseason. However, Keeley stayed on the same side of the ball. The former outside linebacker, who has seen the field for just 24 career snaps since arriving in Tuscaloosa in 2023, has reportedly put on about 35 pounds for a move to Alabama’s “bandit” position, where he’ll play over the left tackle and likely backup LT Overton. 

2025 is likely Keeley’s last chance in Tuscaloosa, so if the position change doesn’t stick he could be on the move in the offseason. 

An impressive freshman, Red Morgan began last season as one of Alabama’s primary options at nickel cornerback, playing as many as 37 snaps against Vanderbilt before seeing his playing time begin to decline. After that highwater mark, in Week 6, Morgan’s snaps began to decline in favor of a heavier workload for Bray Hubbard. 

Now, heading into 2025, Hubbard is a rising star in Wommack’s secondary, DaShawn Jones is back, and Keon Sabb is fully healthy. There may not be much opportunity for Morgan to see the field, and after such a promising start to his career, frustration may set in for the sophomore defensive back and force him to consider his options outside of Tuscaloosa. 

The running back position at Alabama is an interesting one because Jam Miller has the potential to be one of the best backs in the country, but last season, his production didn’t reflect that level of talent. Now, the question is, was that because of Jalen Milroe’s questionable decision-making in the read-option game and the offensive line play, or does Miller lack the burst to excel in the SEC? 

If the answer is the latter, then Richard Young could suddenly be RB1; if it’s the former, Young could find himself stuck behind Miller with transfer Dre Washington, sophomore Daniel Hill, and freshman AK Dear breathing down his neck and 2026 four-star Ezavier Crowell on his way. Young may not be the odd-man out, but it’s unlikely that Alabama’s running back room doesn’t lose a young piece to the transfer portal this winter.