Alabama basketball has landed former NC State Cole Cloer from the transfer portal, per Yea Alabama, UA’s NIL collective.

The small forward is the Crimson Tide’s third transfer portal addition, joining Kentucky big Brandon Garrison and Mississippi State forward Jamarion Davis-Fleming.

Cloer redshirted as an early enrollee with the Wolfpack this season. That said, he will have a full four years of eligibility when he arrives in Alabama.

The 6-foot-8, 190-pounder is a member of the 2026 recruiting class. The 4-star recruit attended IMG Academy and is ranked as the No. 59 overall prospect, the No. 23 small forward and the No. 8 player in the state of Florida, per On3.

Prior to his time at IMG Academy, Cloer spent his junior year at Caldwell Academy in Greensboro, N.C., where he led the Eagles to the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 2A state title. Cloer averaged 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

Excluding NC State, Alabama was one of four schools that Cloer took official visits to, as he also checked out Florida, UConn and Arkansas. Cloer came to Tuscaloosa as a recruit on Sept. 16, per 247 Sports.

Early enrollees aren’t very common in college basketball, so why did Cloer transfer out ahead of his freshman campaign?

“I committed to NC State in October and have been preparing with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming season,” Cloer wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) on April 3. “With the news of coach Wade’s departure, I have decided to enter the transfer portal. Thank you to the City of Raleigh and the entire NC State community for welcoming me with open arms. I love North Carolina and Wolfpack Nation!”

Cloer is referring to former NC State head coach Will Wade leaving and taking the LSU position. However, when Cloer signed with NC State last November, here’s what Wade said about him:

“Cole is an exciting pickup for us,” Wade said in a press release. “It was a great recruitment and really excited that Cole is running with the Pack. He is a great, great player. He’s somebody that’s going to be able to step in and make an immediate impact for us.

“He can really shoot the ball. He’s got great height, he’s got great length and really shoots the ball at a high, high level. He’s somebody that does a really good job getting his shot off, has a quick trigger and every time he shoots it you think it is going in.

“He’s continued to expand his game, being able to beat guys off the bounce, does a great job getting on the offensive glass. He’s a plus-defender because of his length and athleticism and being able to switch.

“He’s really just a great fit for us all around. It’s a bonus that he’s right up the road and grew up an NC State fan, but we would have recruited him if he was anywhere in the country. We’re thrilled he’ll be with us and know he’s ready to go and help us from day one.”

Alabama now has 13 scholarship players for the 2026-27 season, meaning it only has two more spots available to fill.

The transfer portal opened on April 7, the day after the National Championship, and will close on April 21. BamaCentral is keeping track of the Crimson Tide’s outgoing and incoming players and coaches right here ahead of next season.

For those eyeing the next level, the NCAA’s early entry withdrawal deadline for the 2026 NBA Draft is May 27 at 10:59 p.m. CT.

Alabama Players Who Could Still Return, Transfer or Enter NBA Draft

G Aden Holloway (would be a senior)
G Davion Hannah (would be a sophomore *pending redshirt*)
G Preston Murphy Jr. (would be a senior)
F Amari Allen (would be a sophomore)
F London Jemison (would be a sophomore)
F Keitenn Bristow (would be a junior *pending redshirt*)
C Collins Onyejiaka (would be a sophomore *pending redshirt*)

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The Arizona Cardinals hosted Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor for a top 30 visit on Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Rapoport adds Proctor has met with the Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

The 6-foot-7, 352-pound Proctor is coming off his third and final season at Alabama, appearing in 15 games for the Crimson Tide.

He was impressive these past two seasons, allowing just five sacks and seven quarterback hits in 26 games played, per Pro Football Focus. For his efforts, he was named co-winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which is given to the SEC’s top offensive lineman. Proctor was also a finalist for the Lombardi Award, which is handed down to the nation’s top lineman.

At the NFL Draft Combine, he ran a 5.21-second 40-yard dash and posted a 32.5-inch vertical and 25 bench press reps.

Proctor is getting a lot of late first-round love from draft analysts this offseason. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has the tackle heading to the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 23 overall pick in his seven-round mock draft published Wednesday.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., meanwhile, has Proctor going as high as No. 12 to the Cleveland Browns following a trade with the Dallas Cowboys.

Which other OT prospects have met with the Cardinals this draft cycle?

The Cardinals have also reportedly hosted Northwestern’s Caleb Tiernan and Florida’s Austin Barber on top 30 visits this offseason.

Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor also had a local visit with the franchise.

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WBMA) — Gov. Kay Ivey has signed a package of bills into law aimed at expanding rural health care access in Alabama, increasing the availability of emergency medical services and encouraging healthier food choices for people who use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

“In December, I announced Alabama’s participation in a new Trump Administration program funded by the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ passed by Congress to expand rural healthcare delivery,” Ivey said. “Not wasting a moment, I worked with legislative leaders this session to remove legal barriers to ensure healthcare providers are able to work together to improve healthcare delivery in our rural areas. We have also freed first responders to deliver more life-saving services during ambulance calls, and we have joined other states in streamlining approval of out-of-state physician assistants to practice in Alabama. We are promoting healthier diets for Alabama SNAP beneficiaries by restricting the purchase of sugary foods that contribute to obesity and diabetes. These efforts along with several other pieces of legislation lay a solid foundation as we partner with the Trump Administration in improving rural healthcare delivery to better meet the needs of the public.”

Among the measures Ivey highlighted is the Alabama Rural Health Antitrust Immunity Act (HB605), which provides limited antitrust protections intended to allow collaboration among health care providers to maximize efficiency and sustain and expand services in rural areas. The law allows activities that include shared clinical, administrative and support services; coordinated staffing arrangements; joint quality improvement initiatives; and the purchase and use of shared facilities and equipment.

Another bill, the Alabama Physician Assistant Licensure Compact (HB156), streamlines state license approval for out-of-state physician assistants to practice in Alabama. Under the legislation, Alabama becomes the 24th state to approve the compact, joining Tennessee and Arkansas in the South.

Several new laws focus on emergency medical services. Treat in Place (SB269) allows ambulance operators to be paid for medical services performed on-site. Under current practice, Emergency Medical Services providers are not paid unless they transport a patient to the hospital, even if the patient does not require full emergency department or inpatient care. Removing the patient-transport mandate for reimbursement is expected to increase the availability of EMS care and reduce patient overcrowding in hospitals.

The Expansion of EMS Tuition Reimbursement Program (HB116) adds the Alabama Department of Public Health’s six regional Emergency Medical Services offices to the locations that can offer eligible instruction. Graduates would be required to complete a two-year service commitment to qualify for tuition reimbursement.

Accepting Military Training for EMS Licensure (HB182) requires the Alabama Department of Public Health to accept an applicant’s education, training and experience gained during U.S. military service as credit toward meeting state EMS license requirements.

Two bills address out-of-pocket costs for certain cancer screenings. Under HB300, beginning Jan. 1, 2027, no health benefit plan sold in Alabama will be able to impose a copayment or similar expense on an insured person for a supplemental breast examination or a diagnostic breast examination. Under SB19, beginning Oct. 1, 2027, no health benefit plan sold in Alabama will be able to impose a copayment, deductible, or similar expense on an insured person for prostate screening for men older than 50, or men at “high risk” who are older than 40.

Ivey also signed a measure tied to SNAP benefits. Ensuring Healthy Choices for SNAP Benefits (SB57) has Alabama joining 22 other states in requesting a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prohibit SNAP benefits from being used to purchase high-sugar candies and sodas.

Another new law expands restrictions on nicotine use in public places. Indoor Vaping Restrictions for Public Places (SB9) extends the current ban on smoking cigarettes, pipes and cigars in a public space or in public meetings to include the use of a vaping device, electric cigarette or any other “electronic nicotine delivery system,” whether the e-liquid contains nicotine, THC or another substance.

In addition to the legislation, Ivey and the Alabama Legislature made appropriations for the Rural Health Transformation Program. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services this year awarded $203.4 million to Alabama for projects the state proposed to improve health care for rural residents.