What a difference a year makes. Kalen DeBoer and Alabama just navigated the spring Transfer Portal window and were the only team in the SEC that didn't lose a single scholarship player. It's a testament to the roster building job done by DeBoer and GM Courtney Morgan, and could be a sign of something special brewing in Tuscaloosa for 2025.
Of course, while the window is closed, there could still be some players who end up in the portal due to holdups with paperwork. But according to Ryan Fowler, Alabama is not expected to lose anyone:
Breaking News: The NCAA Transfer Portal period has ended, and no Crimson Tide players have entered the portal.
— Ryan C. Fowler (@RyanCFowler) April 26, 2025
Keep in mind that schools still have a few hours to process any players who may have decided late last night.
However, my sources tell me that Alabama will not have… pic.twitter.com/MrhPkZK0dA
Last year, Alabama fans had to deal with a major exodus of players following Nick Saban's retirement. It was made worse by the portal being closed for most teams. It was open season on the Crimson Tide's roster and there was next to nothing that could be done to fight back.
That's why no Alabama fans are disappointed by how slow this portal window has been. DeBoer seemed mostly comfortable with where his roster stood following the winter window and chose not to get involved in any bidding wars for prospects. He was happy with his 22 projected starters on both sides of the ball.
Alabama needed depth at TE. That mission was accomplished by landing two players - West Virginia's Jack Sammarco and Troy's Brody Dalton. The Crimson Tide could still look for a depth piece or two along both lines. That won't be easy to find, however, because there's not a starting spot up for grabs for an outsider. Someone would have to be willing to be a depth piece, and most guys in the portal in the spring are looking for playing time.
The culture at Alabama seems to be totally different than it was last year. This is fully DeBoer's team now. He's no longer coaching a Saban team. He has his guys, his coaches, and his system fully in place. Now it's time for results.
DeBoer's biggest portal win was hanging on to all three QBs
Depth at QB would have been extremely questionable if one of Alabama's three scholarship players entered the Transfer Portal. With Ryan Grubb saying after spring that Simpson would be the starter if the Crimson Tide played a game the next day, there was concern that Austin Mack could explore his options to potentially find a starting spot.
Instead, DeBoer and Grubb did a great job keeping him in the fold. Despite Simpson's lead, the QB competition is not over, and there's still time for Mack or Keelon Russell to make a move over the summer and compete for the job in fall camp.
Had Mack decided to leave, Alabama would have been left with only two scholarship options at the position. They would have tried to find someone, but finding a player content with likely being third string would have been difficult. That would have put the Tide an injury away from a potentially disastrous scenario.