Alabama missed out on its homerun target for the RB room in the Transfer Portal when NC State's Hollywood Smothers flipped his commitment from the Crimson Tide and signed with Texas. Kalen DeBoer and the staff didn't aggressively pursue a replacement, deciding that there wasn't an RB left that would be an upgrade over what the Crimson Tide was bringing back in 2026.
But Alabama still needed a body, preferring to carry six scholarship running backs as it did this past season. With three returning players in Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley, and AK Dear, along with incoming freshmen EJ Crowell and Trae'shawn Brown, the Crimson Tide felt comfortable that the talent they already had could provide an upgrade from the struggles they experienced in 2025 on the ground.
But RB is one of the spots that you can never really have enough depth, and Alabama added a depth piece on Saturday with the addition of Appalachian State transfer Khalifa Keith.
Keith, who was a surprise visitor to Tuscaloosa this weekend, committed while he was in town:
BREAKING: Former Tennessee/Appalachian State running back Khalifa Keith has transferred to Alabama!
— Brett Greenberg (@BrettGreenberg_) January 31, 2026
6-foot-1, 235 pounder is a Birmingham (Ala.) native with two years of eligibility remaining
Crimson Tide up to six bodies in the RB room
🐘 https://t.co/PNYAwM53kx pic.twitter.com/akETTRySJN
Alabama adds RB Khalifa Keith in the Transfer Portal
Keith is a Birmingham native who played at Parker High School. He was a 3-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and signed with Tennessee. He spent his first two seasons of college with the Volunteers, rushing for 121 yards on 31 attempts across those two seasons. He transferred to Appalachian State for the 2025 season, but never caught on with the Mountaineers, earning just three carries for eight yards.
Keith is unlikely to come in and compete for carries, but he will provide some experienced depth. He could carve out a role in potential short-yardage situations. At 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, Keith is similar in size to Daniel Hill.
Keith isn't the homerun addition that Smothers would have been, but he's a solid depth piece as Alabama hopes Hill, Riley, and Dear will grow, and the 5-star Crowell will come in and have an immediate impact as a true freshman, much like Ohio State got from Bo Jackson this past season.
Keith is the 19th addition to Alabama's Transfer Portal class. You can follow along with all of the Tide's portal activity by following this link.