It is celebration time for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Tim Keenan III will delay his move to the NFL for another and use his final season of eligibility to chase a 2025 championship. Via Instagram, Keenan stated his championship goal for 2025 and added "I want to apologize for how things ended this season. I never wanted to go out like that...so that is why I'm not."
Keenan is an Alabama Crimson Tide fan favorite, who if possible, is liked and admired even more by his teammates. His return bolsters Alabama's defensive front for next season. The impact of his decision is greater than any defensive lineman, Freddie Roach, Kane Wommack, and Kalen DeBoer might have added through the Transfer Portal.
Talking about Keenan earlier in the season, Freddie Roach said, " I'd take 10 of him. The kid's unbelievable."
With Keenan's return, plus the earlier return decision by LT Overton and the expected return of linebacker Justin Jefferson, Wommack's 2025 defense will have the continuity to overcome Jihaad Campbell moving to the NFL. Not yet known is whether Deontae Lawson will delay moving to the NFL and rehab his injury in Tuscaloosa, with a possible on-field return sometime next season.
Alabama Crimson Tide Roster Pruning
Alabama players have a couple of days left to enter the extended Transfer Portal. The most recent Portal entries are safety King Mack, linebacker Jeremiah Alexander, edge Jayshawn Ross, wide receiver Amari Jefferson, and wide receiver Jaren Hamilton. A total of 19 scholarship players have entered the Transfer Portal. Many of the 19 have the potential to prosper with another team. Several of them came to Tuscaloosa as highly rated prospects. For various reasons, mostly only known by the players and coaches, few produced much in Tuscaloosa.
Roster turnover through transfer exits is too often viewed as minuses. Instead, for the Alabama Crimson Tide program, there are usually plusses. Roster room must be made for Portal additions and new signing classes. Currently, Alabama is just below its scholarship limit for the 2025 season. More Portal additions will be added, requiring more Portal exits.
Alabama Crimson Tide fans have good reason to be excited about the 2025 roster; especially on the defensive side of the ball.