Alabama Football temporarily found what they were looking for in the transfer portal. Other times it didn’t work either.
Such is the nature of college football’s version of the NFL free agency.
Nick Saban would know. He once worked as a defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns and as a head coach for the Miami Dolphins.
“It’s almost like you just build your team by draft, or is there such a thing as free rein in college football now?” Saban said during the 2022 season. “NFL teams have used both of these things for years, to build your team. I think some teams do. Some teams probably need to do it a little more than others. But I think it creates a lot of parity in terms of how quickly you can rebuild a team, how quickly you can get your team to where you need to be to be very, very competitive.
NIL’s wild west has only complicated the situation while opening up more opportunities. This makes the transfer portal agency-free.
Entering the transfer portal does not guarantee that a player will transfer, but other programs are allowed to contact him. The portal officially opens on December 5th.
Here is a list of players Alabama won and lost in the transfer portal ahead of the 2023 season. This will be updated.
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Transfer out
Offensive Lineman Damieon George Jr.: The reserve offensive lineman saw just 20 snaps for the Crimson Tide in 2022, per Pro Football Focus. However, he started in three games in 2021.
Defenseman Braylen Ingraham: The reserve defenseman retired from UA due to medical reasons. He was a four-star prospect who has not played for Alabama since 2020.
Punter/Kicker Jack Martin: The Dothan native transferred to Alabama ahead of the 2021 season, serving as a backup kicker and punter.
Running back Trey Sanders: He was the No. 1 running back in the 2019 class. Sanders also managed to return to the field in 2021 after being a passenger in a car accident in 2020. He had 72 carries for 314 yards and two touchdowns on his return in 2021 but didn’t get much playing time offensively in 2022.
Cornerback Khyree Jackson: The former JUCO transfer, which started in the College Football Playoff Championship, has announced that it will enter the transfer portal. He also started in the Texas game, but otherwise he was mostly in a reserve role.
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None as of November 28, 2022