The Transfer Portal started out with the best intentions. It was a way to give student athletes opportunities to explore their options and find playing time - or even just better academic/lifestyle fits. The "one time" free transfer turned into a free for all, transfer all you want institution. Kids sign in December and are in the portal by April.
The days of staying and getting developed are over. Is that what's best for the student athlete? The answer is likely no, but anyone who speaks up against that fact is labeled in an unflattering manner.
Take the case of Tre'quon Fegans, for example. For the third consecutive season, Fegans has entered the Transfer Portal and is now looking for his fourth team in four years. Fegans was initially a 4-star recruit and the No. 117 player nationally in the 247 composite rankings. He spent one season with the Crimson Tide in 2022, received no playing time, and promptly entered the portal and transferred to USC for the 2023 season.
After recording stats in just three games with the Trojans in 2023, Fegans jumped back into the portal last year and ultimately signed with UCF. He saw action in seven games last season for the Knights, recording a total of two tackles. Following spring practice, Fegans is back in the Transfer Portal once again.
NEW: UCF CB Tre’Quon Fegans has entered the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos_ reports.
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) April 16, 2025
Fegans has made stops at Alabama and USC.https://t.co/kSYG7dYADj pic.twitter.com/oGevqxDn4V
Chances are based on his odyssey, Fegans probably wasn't good enough to play at Alabama. But who knows, really? Had he chosen to stay in Tuscaloosa, there's a chance he could have carved out some kind of role last season in his third year in college. Alabama fielded a young and inexperienced secondary last season and could have used a more veteran presence. He traded in the consistency of being developed in the same place for the instant gratification of perceived greener pastures.
The grass has rarely been greener for Alabama football transfers
Kalen DeBoer sent a warning to his team following spring practice and right before the 10-day spring Transfer Portal window opened.
"Be careful what you ask for," said DeBoer. "The grass is definitely not greener on the other side."
DeBoer can speak from plenty of experience on the subject. Following Nick Saban's retirement and DeBoer taking over, Alabama saw significant roster turnover with players leaving Tuscaloosa left and right. Some found success, most didn't.
Players like Jake Pope, Amari Niblack, James Brockermeyer, Anquin Barnes, Antonio Kite, and Khurtiss Perry, among others, ended up back in the Transfer Portal after a year at new teams.
One day into the spring portal window, it appears Alabama's current roster is heeding DeBoer's advice. The Crimson Tide is one of the only programs in the country that has yet to have a player enter the Transfer Portal in this window. That could change in an instant, but so far DeBoer has retained his entire roster post-spring.