After a somewhat slow start to the offseason and some early misses in the Transfer Portal, Kalen DeBoer and his Alabama football recruiting staff have managed to flip the script of late and bring in an impressive haul of talent to help reset the mood of Crimson Tide fans everywhere ahead of the 2026 college football season.
This rebound comes after much of the Tide fanbase had found themselves in the dumps and began to question DeBoer's recruiting abilities after seeing Alabama be shunned by former NC State commit Hollywood Smothers and missing out on Cam Coleman, as the two top portal prospects decided on Austin rather than Tuscaloosa.
Kalen DeBoer and Alabama rebounded in a major way in the portal
This tune began to change when seeing DeBoer and company start to address the team's biggest glaring needs, which were reconstructing both of Alabama's offensive and defensive lines, and the special teams corps. That reconstruction process started with the addition of depth with under-the-radar pickups likeformer Mississippi State defensive lineman Kedrick Bigley-Jones and Washington transfer DL Caleb Smith. Alabama then continued its uphill climb by adding ex-Marshall kicker Lorcan Quinn.
Shortly after, DeBoer and Tide GM Courtney Morgan kept their foot on the gas by adding much-needed help upfront on their offensive line by picking up ex-Michigan 4-star tackle Ty Haywood, then carrying that momentum back to the Carolinas to grab former NC State wide receiver Noah Rodgers. Alabama kept this train rolling by reeling in a gem addition in their signing of former Poly Cal two-time All-sky standout center Racin Delgatty to their stable, to go along with ex Texas tackle Nick Brooks and former Ole Miss guard Ethan Fields.
These reinforcements gave Alabama fans a new sense of reassurance, as DeBoer took it a step further by adding what most might consider to be their impressive piece by picking up the No.4 overall defensive lineman in the portal, ex-Oregon signee Terrance Green on Saturday. This series of acquisitions provided the Tide with a full 180-degree haul of their off-season, while painting a small picture of DeBoer's ability to right the ship as he did several times during the 2025 regular season in his second year as head coach in Tuscaloosa.
Of course, these moves won't wipe away the embarrassment Alabama felt to open the year when the Tide's short lived CFP run came to a crashing end after getting stomped by Indiana in Pasaden at the Rose Bowl nearly three weeks ago on New Year's Day, but I think all can say that this recruiting cycle should serve as a highlighted example DeBoer and his staff's ability to be resilient and weather the storm in this age of college football. More importantly, I think this period should serve as a growing reminder for Tide fans to remember that anything worth being good truly takes TIME and that patience is key.