Alabama may have found its Parker Brailsford replacement a day after the two-year starter elected to forego his final season of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft.
Michigan transfer offensive lineman Kaden Strayhorn, who arrived in Tuscaloosa for a visit on Tuesday, committed to the Crimson Tide tonight. Things were expected to move fast in this recruitment, and they most certainly did.
BREAKING: Michigan true freshman transfer OL Kaden Strayhorn has Committed to Alabama, he tells @On3Sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 7, 2026
The 6’3 318 OL will have 4 years of eligibility left
“Right back where It started, only better Philippians 4:13”https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/N6OSGXJhoj
Michigan OL Kaden Strayhorn commits to Alabama
Strayhorn took a redshirt at Michigan this season after arriving in Ann Arbor as a 3-star recruit out of IMG Academy in the 2025 recruiting class. Alabama was heavily involved in his recruitment, but he ultimately chose to start his career with his home-state school.
Strayhorn has connections to Alabama that aided in the Crimson Tide landing him out of the portal. He was high school teammates with Michael Carroll, who is Alabama's lone returning starter on the offensive line in 2026. They formed a devastating duo in high school and will look to replicate that in college.
Strayhorn's Dad played for Nick Saban at Michigan State in the late 90s.
Strayhorn figures to quickly compete for a starting role in Tuscaloosa. Alabama will be replacing all three of its interior offensive linemen, including several trusted backups. That includes the spot that the Michigan transfer is most likely to compete for: center.
With Brailsford heading to the NFL, Geno VanDeMark out of eligibility, and both Joseph Ionata and Roq Montgomery entering the portal, Alabama doesn't have any centers on the roster with starting experience.
That will make it a wide-open competition next season, one that Strayhorn will undoubtedly be part of.
Strayhorn is listed at 6-foot-2 and 308 pounds. He's got a little bit of size on Brailsford, but is still the smaller, more agile type of interior offensive lineman that Kalen DeBoer prefers in his system. Schematically, he seems to be a strong fit.
Strayhorn is just the first domino to fall on the offensive line in the portal. Alabama could take three or four more in this cycle to get the numbers back up. With Brailsford and Kadyn Proctor going pro, along with the portal attrition, the Crimson Tide was down to just 11 offensive linemen on the 2026 roster prior to Strayhorn's commitment.
You can follow all of Alabama's Transfer Portal activity by following this link.