The January 14th deadline for college football underclassmen prospects to officially declare for the 2026 NFL Draft could weigh heavily on how much Kalen DeBoer and Alabama football General Manager Courtney Morgan are ultimately willing to open up the checkbook at the WR position if Isaiah Horton decides to leave Tuscaloosa and take his talents to the pros. If so, this could force the Tide to ramp up their pursuit of college football's No. 1 Transfer Portal target, Cam Coleman, when he visits Tuscaloosa this Wednesday.
Horton, DeBoer, and Morgan find themselves in this conundrum just days after Indiana mopped the floor with Alabama, 38-3 in the Rose Bowl in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. The scoreboard was ugly, but the outlook it left on the Crimson Tide's receiver room heading into 2026 doesn't look much better.
This is because since the seeing all the roses and dust settle in Pasadena, the Tide have been gutted with roster turnover, officially losing four receivers from their 2025 receiving core with the departure of senior WR Germie Bernard to the NFL, while losing Cole Adams, Jalen Hale, and Jaylen Mwbakwe at the hands of the Transfer Portal less than 72 hours after being knocked out the postseason.
"I just want to continue to take this moment in, and I'll deal with that later, man.. Go ahead and be with my family.. Send my guys off, my seniors off, and just love on them real quick.. I'll think about that later," Horton said to reporters after the Rose Bowl.
Isaiah Horton is weighing a crucial NFL Draft decision
This uncertainty expressed by the redshirt junior talent now leaves the Crimson Tide's offense in limbo early on this offseason. Alabama only has four returning receivers in Ryan Williams, Lotzeir Brooks, Rico Scott, and Derek Meadows. Alabama only added in-state 5-star true freshman signee, Cederian Morgan, as an early enrollee in their 2026 recruiting class. That could result in Alabama being left with a thin receiving core, with little time to reload as the portal closes on January 16th.
Of course, Horton's return for his senior campaign could brighten Alabama's forecast after seeing the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Miami transfer reel in 42 receptions for 511 yards and 8 touchdowns during his first season in Tuscaloosa. But the burning question remains, how long will Horton's decision take, and how long can Alabama afford to wait for it? That may leave DeBoer and company no choice but to get ultra-aggressive in their approach to spend top dollar over other schools like Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC, and LSU, among others, in order to successfully seal the deal with the 6-foot-3, 205-pound sophomore to help reload Alabama's receiving corps.
If the answer to that question is yes and Horton returns for his senior campaign, then he could boost his stock in the Crimson Tide from a production standpoint in his second season, similar to how Bernard did in 2025. If not, and Horton decides to ultimately declare pro, Coleman's services would definitely become a huge priority after watching him rack up 93 total receptions for 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns across 2 seasons at Auburn. The Phenix City native's addition could also reunite him with ex-Auburn play caller, now Alabama's new wide out coach, Derrick Nix
Depth in the WR room will be something Alabama pursues in the Transfer Portal regardless of Horton's decision. If he comes back, DeBoer and Morgan can just look for bodies. If he leaves, an additional playmaker could be pivotal for the Tide's 2026 offense.