During this day and age of college football, attrition is inevitable, which is why the ability to successfully retain your own talent from season to season can be a challenge for most programs. Especially when the transfer portal giveth and taketh away in the blink of an eye.
I mean, just ask Oklahoma State (41), Auburn (33), Arkansas (30), Iowa State (29), LSU (27), and Colorado (25), who lead the country in portal exits. This is why Alabama fans should treat the return of Lotzeir Brooks as big as any acquisition the Crimson Tide makes this offseason.
Lotzeir Brooks chose to re-up with Alabama after a strong close to the season. He talks his decision to stay at Alabama, cites strong relationship with Coach Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb. https://t.co/dYm7B1VSyQ
— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) January 6, 2026
Brooks officially re-upped with the Crimson Tide for the 2026 season, per the school’s NIL collective Yea Alabama. This well-deserved new deal for Brooks comes at much needed time for the Alabama receiving core after losing senior WR Germie Bernard to the NFL, then following that up by losing Jaylen Mbakwe and Jalen Hale in the early goings of the Transfer Portal. Then that leaves the ongoing pending decision junior WR Isaiah Horton has to make, having the potential to forgo his senior season in Tuscaloosa to test the NFL waters.
While most wait to see what Horton decides and what Alabama does next on the open market, I think the biggest reason all can appreciate Brooks new deal is because of how the kid earned it.
Lotzeir Brooks exploded onto the scene as a freshman despite low recruiting ranking
Brooks first popped onto the scene last spring as an early enrollee, underrated 3-star prospect from Millville High School in New Jersey. Brooks worked his way up the ladder in what appeared to be a star-studded Alabama room after seeing Ryan Williams go nuts as a 17-year-old for the Tide the season before. He also watched Bernard lead Alabama in receptions in 2024, and the addition of Horton as the Tide's big fish portal acquisition last cycle. That still didn't stop the 5-foot-9, 191-pounder from turning heads early on as a pleasant surprise in the Alabama offense, catching 32 passes for 441 yards, while also returning 15 kicks for 283 total yards.
His biggest contributions came in hostile environments on the road, like at Missouri, where he reeled in a clutch fourth-down catch in the red zone that extended the drive to help Alabama escape the jaws of upset. This clutch play from this moment secured Brooks' spot in Alabama's lineup, making him a viable option that helped the Crimson Tide weather some of the hard storms of Williams's sophomore slump. Brooks doubled down on his heroics against Oklahoma in Norman, where he had a breakout performance in the opening round of the College Football Playoff, exploding for five catches for 79 yards and scoring his lone two touchdowns of his freshman campaign to help Alabama successfully overcome a 17-point deficit and give Kalen DeBoer his first postseason victory with the program as head coach.
Moves like these in times like these should only be looked at with gratitude on the part of both sides, especially when you tend to see continuous situations across the landscape of college football where the production doesn't match the paycheck. I think all can agree, Brooks truly earned every penny of this extension. Yes, Alabama still has a lot of holes they need to address this offseason at a variety of positions, but I think all fans can take a step back and be grateful to know that a stud like No.17 is locked in Tuscaloosa as a future piece on offense for Alabama in 2026 and so on.