The legendary head coach, Nick Saban, left Alabama in January 2024. Up to 28 players left the team when Kalen DeBoer arrived from Washington as the new Bama head coach. Major players such as Caleb Downs (safety), Kadyn Proctor (offensive tackle), and Isaiah Bond (wide receiver) were among those who departed. Among the 28 players who departed, as many as 7 were the starters, and NIL demands also took away some of the players from the program in recruiting. However, the situation appears to be improving now.
The NIL and transfer portal have reigned in extreme havoc since their inception in 2021. The opponents of the changes came with their arguments against them, and then the supporters claimed the players’ benefit. The situation is in chaos, with coaches becoming increasingly wary. Coaches like Matt Rhule and Steve Sarkisian even canceled the spring games, and many other coaches started voicing concerns that their players were being poached. Players started leaving in masses, so much so that we saw as much as half the number of the whole roster leaving. Alabama also felt the changes quite hard.
In this spring transfer window, over 700 players have already decided to enter the transfer portal across college football. The departures have seen a 25–30% increase since previous years, with players like Nico Iamaleava opting to switch camps. But this year, the Alabama Crimson Tide, with Kalen DeBoer at the helm, has finally done a nearly impossible feat and has set an example for other FBS coaches.
The Tides haven’t seen a single scholarship player entering the portal this spring. Moreover, with just hours until the window ends, it is expected that no player will do so in that period either.
Ryan C Fowler reported on X. “…My sources tell me that Alabama will not have any scholarship players entering the portal. This is an incredible job by Kalen DeBoer, Courtney Morgan, and the entire Alabama Crimson Tide coaching staff. It says a lot about the current team chemistry and the expectations for this team.”
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