By all accounts, the Protect College Sports Act is great news for Alabama football and basketball. But that doesn't mean there won't be some unintended consequences and stumbling blocks that programs have to deal with in the interim.
For Nate Oats, the biggest one might just be space on the roster.
One of the biggest aspects of the proposed bill is a one-time transfer exception. You get one free transfer, and then you sit out if you transfer again without graduating first. That, along with the new five-in-five eligibility rule, means that 14 of Alabama's 15-man roster for the 2026-27 season is eligible to return in 2027-28, as 247's Mike Rodak pointed out over the weekend on his X account:
Interesting wrinkle as Alabama basketball recruits 2027 HS basketball class: Tide currently has 14 players with projected eligibility remaining for 2027-28 season under a 15-player limit:
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) August 1, 2026
Aden Holloway
Anderson Diaz
Amari Allen
Qayden Samuels
Tarris Bouie
Jaxon Richardson
Cole…
Nate Oats' 2027-28 Alabama roster may already be close to full
Brandon Garrison, Drew Fielder, and Aden Holloway are rising seniors, so they could be getting set to graduate, which would open up a second transfer for all three if they so choose. Cole Cloer, Keitenn Bristow, and Jamarion Davis-Fleming would theoretically be locked in to the 2027-28 roster, though.
One of the spots will likely open itself up. There's very little chance that Amari Allen will return for a third season in Tuscaloosa after going through the pre-draft process following a standout freshman year. If he takes the leap that so many expect as a sophomore, he'll be making the NBA jump for real this time.
The touted freshman class could also produce a boom or two, and even a bust. Perhaps Qayden Samuels and/or Jaxon Richardson are the real deal immediately and end up being one-and-dones for Oats and the Crimson Tide. Someone like TJ St. Louis could be a portal casualty following the year. The same could be said for Collins Onyejiaka if he can't carve out a role in his second season.
Point being, any concerns about the roster being close to full are probably overblown at this point. It's too early to tell what the rule for transfers will be. Will everyone going forward get one more transfer, grandfathering in the current players who were operating under different rules the first time or two they went to the portal? That's an important question that will have to be answered in the coming months, assuming the bill passes in the Senate as expected.
In any case, based on the work Oats did this offseason in recruiting and the Transfer Portal, along with the new rules, don't be surprised if Alabama ends up taking a smaller high school class during the 2027 cycle.
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