This is an opinion post, from an Alabama football fan who may or may not be speaking for other Crimson Tide fans. Since I have a responsibility to cover all aspects of Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball, I sometimes write about subjects that have become tiresome to me. If I could, I would sometimes press an ignore button and move on.
While I keep up with many sources of preseason rankings, I would rather ignore them. Admittedly, there are reasons to doubt the 2026 Alabama Crimson Tide. I get it, and I am reconciled to the possibility that Alabama Football will be ranked outside the top 10 in the preseason AP Poll in August. If that happens, it will be the first time since 2008. So be it, let's move on. In sports, the finish matters, rather than the start.
What irritates me more is the theme that the 2026 Transfer Portal cycle was a failure for Alabama. Yes, Alabama lost some quality players to transfer. In the current college football world, roster upheaval is the norm. It is also true, based more on the number of added transfers rather than player quality, that teams like LSU (40 transfer additions), Ole Miss (28), Oklahoma State (54), Penn State (36), and Auburn (39) have transfer classes ranked higher than Alabama.
There is another worthwhile way to assess incoming transfer classes. It is average player ratings. Using the 247Sports transfer rankings, based on player rating average, Alabama has the No. 10 transfer class. That is fifth-best among SEC teams, but the top SEC team in average transfer player ranking is Texas, at 88.59. The Crimson Tide's average is 87.81. The difference is too small to be relevant.
Alabama Football Transfer Portal Strategy
Add to the above that the philosophy of Alabama Football is to add transfers based on position group needs, rather than trying to remake most of a roster, Lane Kiffin-style. Other numbers show that the 2026 Crimson Tide will be missing significant production from the 2025 class. That is a real concern, but with first, second, and third-year players, Alabama's wealth of talent is capable of producing at least as much and likely more than the 2025 team. The bottom line for me is I want an ignore button for the avalanche of 'gloom and doom' stories about Alabama Football transfers.
One more point is a tease for an upcoming post. I no longer have any interest in what Kalen DeBoer did in his coaching career before coming to Tuscaloosa. The window for him to prove himself with the Alabama Crimson Tide is open now. For DeBoer, season three will be pivotal. There is no way to know how many more seasons the window will remain open.