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The Latest on Alabama Football's 2025 Roster and Transfer Portal

2024-12-12

Kalen DeBoer now has a full offseason to assemble a roster. The Alabama football coach didn't have this luxury before the 2024 season. He replaced the retiring Nick Saban in mid-January, which meant the transfer portal reopened for a month when it was closed for most teams. DeBoer had to re-recruit much of the roster while building a program and moving from Seattle to Tuscaloosa. Now, he has full access to the transfer portal, not the picked-over version he and his staff drew from in January. The bridge year is over as he molded his way with mostly Saban-style players. He'll have a chance to build a roster filled with players that fit his system.

Alabama's 2025 Recruiting Class and Transfer Portal Activity

Alabama signed the No. 2 recruiting class in the early signing period for 2025, according to the 247Sports Composite. Meanwhile, there are constant comings and goings in the transfer portal. Crimson Tide veterans will also make NFL Draft decisions. To construct the new roster, DeBoer will work with general manager Courtney Morgan, director of player personnel Bob Welton, director of recruiting strategy Jatavis Sanders, and other staffers in the player personnel department.

Tight End Recruitment

Luke Hasz, an Arkansas tight end in the transfer portal, is expected to visit Alabama this week. He has two seasons of experience and would help fill a need as several tight ends are set to depart. This shows Alabama's focus on strengthening this position.

Receiver Additions

Kevin Concepcion is expected to visit Alabama this week. He played the past two seasons for NC State and would give the Crimson Tide another dynamic receiver. In 2024, he had eight touchdowns after a 10-touchdown freshman campaign. He has a connection with Jatavis Sanders, who worked at NC State before coming to Tuscaloosa.

Offensive Line and Pass Rushers

Keep an eye on tight end, receiver, offensive line, and pass rushers. These positions make sense based on roster needs or Alabama's shown interest. It's not an exhaustive list, but these are areas to watch.

Quarterback Situation

Now that Dylan Lonergan is expected to enter the transfer portal, Alabama is down to three quarterbacks who could return in 2025 based on remaining eligibility. Jalen Milroe hasn't announced a decision yet, but it would be a surprise if he didn't go out for the NFL Draft. ESPN projects him as the No. 4 quarterback right now. If Milroe departs, that leaves Ty Simpson and Austin Mack returning. Plus, Alabama signed Keelon Russell, a five-star quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class who was named the Gatorade national player of the year. If it is those three returning, Simpson would likely be in the pole position to earn the starting job for next season.

Transfer Portal Movements

Names in the transfer portal as of Wednesday night, Dec. 11: Jahlil Hurley, Naquil Betrand, Hunter Osborne, Caleb Odom, Jehiem Oatis, Kendrick Law, Kobe Prentice, Danny Lewis Jr., Keanu Koht, and Miles McVay. It can take up to two days for names to make it into the portal, which is why Lonergan's name might not be in yet. Plus, Koht announced his commitment to Vanderbilt on Wednesday. Overall transfer portal movement three days in, Dec. 11 update: Alabama has seen a handful of players decide to go into the transfer portal. None have been full-time starters, and to the knowledge so far, none have been a surprise. That can always change, but for now, it's been a normal end-of-season roster change in the portal era.

Player Departures

Miles McVay plans to enter the transfer portal. His agents Chase Moss and Darren J. Wilson from Quality Control Sports told AL.com of the offensive tackle's decision Sunday. He's a former four-star offensive tackle who saw playing time in all 12 games this past season, primarily on special teams.Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.>