Alabama Football: Kalen DeBoer retaining depth

For anyone who was expecting another transfer portal exodus out of Tuscaloosa, that has not come to fruition in this spring period. 

It was reasonable to expect some departures coming out of spring practice. Though the Alabama depth chart isn’t quite settled, most teams will experience some level of attrition once players get the opportunity to see where they stack up against their respective position groups. Elite rosters in particular, such as the Crimson Tide’s, typically see some losses, given that they often have plenty of 4-star and even 5-star talent that is unable to crack the rotation and decides to transfer elsewhere. 

So far, however, Coach Kalen DeBoer has kept the roster pretty much intact. Even after adding tackle Kadyn Proctor and kicker Graham Nicholson via the portal, both presumed starters, there have been no transfer exits in response. 

Bama continues to seek new additions, particularly in the secondary. While there has been trepidation amongst the fan base regarding what has been a “slow” portal season, it’s important to keep in mind that Alabama has added top players at positions of need while retaining all of its depth. Just like it did under Nick Saban, Bama has the luxury of being very selective in its portal additions. Though it’s always nice to add big names and splashy transfers, I would argue that the spring portal window has gone just about as well as one could ask for Alabama Football.

The spring portal window is far from over. While there may be some exits out of Tuscaloosa before it closes, there will certainly be more players from other teams in the portal as well. That is to say, there will be a wider pool of talent for the Tide to choose from if they decide to backfill through the portal. 

It will be fascinating to see how much of this inherited roster Coach DeBoer can keep on board heading into year one.