Alabama Football: With player exits, Kalen DeBoer can go Portal Shopping

There is a reason why the second new Alabama football staffer to hit the Tuscaloosa tarmac Friday Night, was not a football coach. It was Courtney Morgan, who as Washington Football's General Manager, left Seattle and arrived in Tuscaloosa when Kalen DeBoer did.

Morgan's primary role for DeBoer at Washington is expected to continue at Alabama. That role can best be described as a 'rainmaker' for Alabama Football. In this case, the 'rain' is not dollars. Instead, it is players, both recruits and transfers. His Alabama title is not yet known, whatever it is Morgan will be the Tide's top player personnel person.

Kalen DeBoer is working an aggressive schedule to fill his Alabama coaching staff. On Saturday he said he hoped to have the staff in place within 24 hours. All the hires are important, but it is possible none are more important than Courtney Morgan.

"He’s just so tied in to everyone in the recruiting world. Players, staff members. He knows a lot of this roster and there are parents of players on this roster that he’s got their numbers and talking with them right now, trying to just, probably alluding to what we’re trying to accomplish right now and holding people in place and not getting too antsy."

- Kalen DeBoer

Holding to Current Alabama Football Players

Note the other key and most pressing role for Morgan is helping DeBoer and others "hold people in place." In the Crimson Tide's current situation, player exits are common. The loss of many key players could severely hamper Alabama's 2024 season. So far, that is not a problem. Alabama has lost a few players who had been contributors, but most of the exits have been from guys looking for more playing time on a new team.

It is difficult to identify how many 'can't afford to lose' players the new staff has defined. The number could easily be in the dozens. There have been enough exits, before and after Nick Saban's retirement, that Kalen DeBoer can also go Portal Shopping now.

The talent in the Portal might be depleted somewhat, but DeBoer's Washington players also have 30 days to enter the Portal. If Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan for the NFL, there might be some Portal additions from Wolverines.

Courtney Morgan played at Michigan from 1999-2003 and also had a General Manager role for the Wolverines in 2021. Before his position in Ann Arbor, Morgan was on DeBoer's Fresno State staff.