Alabama
Julian Sayin, Caleb Downs among players to transfer from Alabama in wake of Nick Saban’s retirement
Alabama is used to natural attrition, even in large numbers, with players running out of eligibility or declaring early for the NFL Draft. With the retirement of Nick Saban, though, the Crimson Tide enter a new era without some key players who opted for the transfer portal.
New Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer, who highlighted the importance of player retention at his introductory press conference, is inheriting a roster that’s been decimated by the portal in the two weeks since Saban retired. In all, 10 players have hit the portal, half of which started at least one game in 2023 — an almost unheard of exodus for a program of Alabama’s stature.
To make matters worse, six of those transfers have already committed to other SEC programs, including one that took his talents to Auburn and two former offensive starters that made the jump to Texas, a program that beat Alabama in 2023 and is set to join the conference in 2024. To give DeBoer credit, he has brought in a few transfers — all from his former school, Washington — to staunch the bleeding a little bit.
Alabama is going to have a lot of important production to replace, though. Here’s a breakdown of each player who has entered the portal since Saban decided to step away from the game.
WR Isaiah Bond
Entered: Jan. 12 | New school: Texas
Bond didn’t take long to make a decision on his future, officially entering the transfer portal two days after Saban retired. Two days after that, he committed to Texas. Bond is a significant loss for Alabama’s offense. He’s a big reason why the Crimson Tide made the College Football Playoff, saving their season with his touchdown catch on fourth-and-31 against Auburn to give Alabama a last-second win. Bond ended up leading Alabama with 48 receptions and placed second with 668 yards and four touchdowns.
LB Shawn Murphy
Entered: Jan. 13 | New school: Florida State
On its face, the loss of Murphy makes sense. He spent two seasons with the Crimson Tide and made his impact largely on special teams while playing a minor role on the defense. He finished the 2023 season with three tackles, all of which came in blowout wins against Middle Tennessee State and Chattanooga. But Alabama can hardly afford to lose depth on its defense given attrition both to the NFL and in the transfer portal, and Murphy is a former four-star linebacker who may have played a bigger role in the program moving forward.
CB Dezz Ricks
Entered: Jan. 13 | New school: Texas A&M
The younger brother of former LSU and Alabama defensive back Eli Ricks, Dezz signed with the Crimson Tide in 2023 as the No. 39 player nationally — putting him just outside of five-star range — and No. 3 cornerback in his recruiting class. He couldn’t break through in a loaded secondary and made two appearances off the bench in 2023. Losing a former blue-chip recruit like Ricks always hurts, and as was mentioned with Murphy, Alabama’s defense can hardly afford any hits to its depth.
DB Antonio Kite
Entered: Jan. 13 | New school: Auburn
The 6-foot-1 Kite joined Alabama’s roster in 2022 as a four-star recruit out of Anniston, Alabama. After redshirting as a freshman, he earned a role on special teams in 2023 and appeared in seven games, seeing playing time in both the SEC Championship Game against Georgia and Alabama’s College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against Michigan. He even fielded a punt against the Wolverines, though it didn’t net any yardage. 247Sports ranks Kite as a three-star prospect in the transfer portal.
TE Amari Niblack
Entered: Jan. 14 | New school: Texas
Losing Niblack is a huge blow for Alabama’s offense. While tight ends with at least adequate receiving skills are the norm in college football, it’s hard to come by legitimate options at Niblack’s level. The redshirt freshman had a breakout season in 2023, logging 20 catches for 327 yards and four touchdowns while outplaying veterans like CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts. At 6-foot-4 and 233 pounds, Niblack is a mismatch for any linebacker or safety trying to cover him with his speed, size and athleticism for the position. No wonder 247Sports tabs him as the top tight end in its transfer rankings.
CB Trey Amos
Entered: Jan. 15 | New school: Ole Miss
Unlike the other defensive back transfers thus far, Amos actually played a rather significant role for Alabama in 2023 and was in line for a lot more playing time. He appeared in all 14 games with one start after transferring in from Louisiana and finished the year with 12 total tackles and five pass breakups. He could have used his final year of eligibility to push for a starting role with Alabama in 2024 but instead took his talents to an SEC rival in Ole Miss, which has spent this offseason absolutely loading up on transfer players.
DB Caleb Downs
Entered: Jan. 17 | New school: Ohio State
Arguably the most significant departure for Alabama, Downs is a rare breed. Starting as a true freshman at the collegiate level is a tall task. Doing so for a national title-caliber team in the SEC is virtually impossible. Yet Downs nabbed one of Alabama’s starting safety spots from Day 1 and flourished in the role, earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors after a stellar first season. He became the first freshman since 1970 to lead Alabama in tackles with 107 total stops. He also had two interceptions, five pass breakups and a forced fumble. Downs has all the makings of a superstar defender and future NFL Draft first-rounder.
OL Kadyn Proctor
Entered: Jan. 17 | New school: Iowa
Another freshman that made a huge contribution for Alabama in his first season, Proctor earned SEC All-Freshman honors after starting 13 games at left tackle for the Crimson Tide. He had his ups and downs and left things with a particularly brutal showing against Michigan in the Rose Bowl, but the expectation with Proctor — as with every offensive lineman — is that he will get better with each passing year. As a former top-five overall prospect and No. 1 offensive tackle out of high school, his potential is seemingly limitless.
CB Jameer Grimsley
Entered: Jan. 18 | New school: Florida
Grimsley never even really got to suit up for the Crimson Tide. He signed with Alabama in December and even went through bowl practices with the Tide ahead of their College Football Playoff foray before entering the portal a week after Alabama’s coaching change. He elected to return to his home state of Florida, where he signed with Alabama as a four-star athlete out of Tampa, and now gives the Gators a high-upside secondary addition with some positional versatility. At 6-foot-3, Grimsley could play safety but his background as a wide receiver better suits the skillset of an outside corner.
QB Julian Sayin
Entered: Jan. 19 | New school: Ohio State
Like Grimsley, Sayin signed with Alabama in December and went through bowl practices before transferring. A former five-star signal-caller out of Carlsbad, Sayin was named California’s Gatorade Player of the Year after throwing for 2,347 yards and 24 touchdowns with just one interception in 10 games as a senior. He was also named the MVP at the Elite 11 Finals, a summer competition that pits some of the nation’s best quarterback prospects against one another. Though he was the third-best quarterback in the class of 2024, 247Sports ranks him as the No. 1 transfer quarterback — above the likes of Washington State’s Cameron Ward and Duke’s Riley Leonard.
Alabama
Alabama’s role in Artemis II mission includes Birmingham native who helped shape NASA rocket
Alabama’s footprint in NASA’s return to deep space was on display this week as the Artemis II mission launched, marking the first human journey toward the moon in more than 50 years.
From work at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville to leadership across the Artemis program, the state has played a central role in developing the systems powering the mission.
Among those contributions is Kimberly Robinson, a Birmingham native who helped develop the Artemis program and contributed to the formulation of the Space Launch System rocket used for the mission.
Robinson also served as payload mission manager for Artemis I, the uncrewed test flight that laid the groundwork for Artemis II.
Her connection to the current mission extends to its crew. Years ago, Robinson briefed astronaut candidate Victor Glover on the Artemis rocket during a visit to Marshall Space Flight Center. Glover now serves as pilot of Artemis II.
Robinson, a graduate of Shades Valley High School, told Birmingham television station WBRC the moment carries both personal and professional significance.
“It’s very historic and has a lot of meaning for me personally as I was a part of setting up the program and organizing it,” Robinson said.
She reflected on how her path to NASA began with an early interest in space exploration.
“It’s really incomprehensible. I can’t believe it. I remember doing my 5th grade term paper on Wernher von Braun and his rocket team. Never in my wildest imagination would I think that I would ever do something in a center he created,” she said in her interview with the outlet.
Robinson spent more than 30 years at NASA and later led the U.S. Space and Rocket Center before retiring in 2025.
The Artemis II mission is expected to push astronauts farther into space than ever before, building on decades of work led in part by Alabama-based teams.
“Not only are we returning them to the area, picking up where we left off but we are going further than humans have ever ventured into space before. They will have a perspective that we have not ever had before and I want to hear about their experiences so I’m very excited for that,” Robinson said, according to the station.
She added that continued space exploration could lead to advances beyond spaceflight itself.
“It’s very important that we keep pushing forward and meeting challenges because that’s where we’re going to find new materials, new drugs to cure diseases that have been around a long time,” she said.
Artemis II’s mission is anticipated to last ten days, with the astronauts returning to earth in mid-April.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
Alabama
No. 5 Alabama Rallies from Early Deficit to Even Series Against No. 1 Texas
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— You could hear a pin drop in Rhoads Stadium after the first inning of Friday night’s game between No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Alabama, but the silence didn’t last very long.
Despite trailing by four runs after the top of the second inning, the Crimson Tide rallied for five two-out runs in the bottom half of the frame and kept it going with an 11-4 win to even the series against the Longhorns.
“Before you look up, it’s 4-0, and it’s like, ‘Uh oh, here we go again,’” Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said after the game. “And then in the bottom of the second, the hitters took over
Freshman Vic Moten could not find the strike zone for Alabama to start the game. She was lifted for Jocelyn Briski after facing just eight batters, but five of those batter drew walks, and the Longhorns scored three runs. Moten had previously not allowed more than three walks in any of her previous starts.
The Alabama pitcher showed ultimate grit when she re-entered for Briski with bases loaded and one out in the third inning. She got out of the jam unscathed and did not allow another run for the remainder of the game.
Moten gets out of the bases-loaded jam😤
📺 @SECNetwork | https://t.co/gTEKqX9hp4#Team30 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/WNFOzv4KG9
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) April 4, 2026
“I knew my stuff was moving today, it was just a matter of finding the strike zone and executing timely pitches,” Moten said. “I just went out and worked on the pitch that wasn’t working, and I came back in, and it worked.”
Pitching coach Lance McMahon told Moten that she would eventually be coming back into the game right after she exited. She took a deep breath and went to work in the bullpen. Moten threw 46 pitches in the first inning alone and only 61 pitches over the final 5.1 innings she threw. She finished with six strikeouts, including the final out of the game.
Texas had its own issues throwing strikes as Alabama drew four free passes in that second inning. Brooke Wells provided the big blow with her bases-clearing double that gave the Tide its first lead of the series at 5-4.
“We had our best hitter up to bat with the bases loaded, and that’s what you want,” Murphy said. “She comes through in the clutch.”
Brooke Wells with the bases-clearing double‼️
📺 @SECNetwork | https://t.co/gTEKqX9hp4#Team30 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/a5QbofVI4q
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) April 4, 2026
Freshman Ambrey Taylor continued to prove why she belongs in the lineup with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth inning absolutley crushed out to dead center. She followed it up the next inning with a two-RBI single to make it 10-4 Tide. Taylor wasn’t even a starter when conference play began, but she already has four home runs and 10 RBIs in SEC play.
Ambrey Taylor with the MOONSHOT🌛
📺 @SECNetwork | https://t.co/gTEKqX9hp4#Team30 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/f7GZTj6jhb
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) April 4, 2026
“When the one went over tonight, I was like, ‘Damn, this kid is a gamer,’” Murphy said of Taylor. “I mean, there’s no other way around it… She worked her way into the lineup for sure. She showed me. She absolutely showed me, ‘You gotta put my name in the lineup.’ And she continues to do it. That’s what you want as a coach.”
Audrey Vandagriff added on the final run with an RBI single in what was a two-hit day for her down in the six spot.
The Crimson Tide easily could’ve folded after facing a four-run deficit to the defending national champions and top-ranked team in the nation, especially after losing the first game of the series by eight runs. Instead Alabama rallied in Rhoads for an important win that can be a building block for the rest of the season.
“Our biggest thing on the season this year is just not getting beat back to back, and we really take pride in that,” Moten said. “So today we knew we were coming out with a dog-fight mentality.”
Alabama (34-3, 8-3 SEC) will be going for its fourth straight SEC series win while trying to hand Texas (32-3, 9-2 SEC) its first conference series loss in the finale on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
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Alabama
What is Alabama’s best burger? Foodie picks this local favorite
D’Road Cafe offers signature brunch items. See for yourself
A look at some of the brunch offerings at downtown Montgomery’s D’Road Cafe.
Every year, Americans devour an estimated 50 million burgers, a sizzling testament to the nation’s enduring passion for beef, buns and bold toppings.
From roadside diners to upscale gastropubs, the hamburger has become a culinary symbol, with each state offering its own unique twist.
The team at Foodie has taken on the delicious challenge of finding the very best burger in every state. By combing through hundreds of customer reviews, spotlighting local award winners and even digging into regional news coverage, they’ve crafted a list that celebrates standout spots from coast to coast.
And when it comes to Alabama, one burger rises above the rest.
What is the best burger in Alabama?
In Alabama, Vicki’s Lunch Van in Montgomery claims the top spot.
What sets it apart? According to Foodie, the small, no-frills spot is “darn-near flawless,” known for freshly made cheeseburgers that taste exactly how a classic burger should.
If there’s one dish that defines the experience, it’s the Gunter Pile. This decadent creation layers a juicy burger patty with gravy and a mixture of fried and crispy onions, all atop a bed of fries. It’s messy, indulgent and distinctly Southern.
How to grab your burger at Vicki’s Lunch Van
If you want to try Vicki’s Lunch Van, note that this Montgomery favorite typically operates during limited lunch hours. Vicki’s is located at 106 Coliseum Blvd.
A lasting legacy
According to posts shared on Facebook, the restaurant’s owner, Vicki Lammon, passed away in February 2026.
The news brought an outpouring of support and memories from devoted customers. Many spoke not just of the quality of the food, but also of the welcoming atmosphere and personal touch that made the place special.
Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter in Alabama for USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect Team. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@usatodayco.com.
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