Alabama

Ranking Alabama’s Top Transfer Portal Acquisitions So Far

Published

6 months ago

January 23, 2026

Ranking Alabama’s Top Transfer Portal Acquisitions So Far

The Alabama Crimson Tide lost 21 players to the transfer portal upon the conclusion of the regular season, leaving depth questions at numerous positions ahead of the new season.

Alabama Football Transfer Portal Tracker: Players Coming and Going This Winter

The Crimson Tide signed a top-five recruiting class in December, but turned to the transfer portal to replace its departing talent, adding 19 players to the roster ahead of the new season. Alabama overhauled the trenches by adding six offensive linemen and five defensive linemen, brought in a wide receiver, and heated the special teams room by bringing in a kicker. Here are the top five incoming transfers for the Crimson Tide.

Terrance Green is a 6-foot-5, 330-pound defensive lineman from Oregon. Green was a rotational defensive lineman for the Ducks this season and was considered the No. 30 defensive lineman in the Class of 2023. He totaled 23 tackles, including three for loss, one sack, and three pass breakups in 25 games for the Ducks.

Green’s size makes him an ideal candidate for Alabama’s starting nose guard spot after Tim Keenan exhausted his eligibility. Green was considered a top 10 defensive lineman in the transfer portal and brings experience playing high-level football. As a redshirt junior, he’ll stabilize a position group riddled with youth.

Racin Delgatty is a 6-foot-4, 300-pound center from Cal Poly. He was All-Big Sky Second Team in 2025 after starting all 12 games for the FCS Mustangs. The former 3-star recruit allowed just 11 pressures on 460 pass-blocking snaps last season and plays with a mean streak that stands out on tape.

Delgatty steps into the Crimson Tide center position after two-year starter Parker Brailsford declared for the NFL Draft. He offers the offense an experienced player, as he’s played in 21 games for Cal Poly over the last two seasons. Delgatty becomes the centerpiece in a revamped offensive line and will be snapping to a new starting quarterback.

Jayvin James is a 6-foot-5, 320-pound left tackle from Mississippi State. He was considered a 3-star tackle in the Class of 2023. James went to Akron before transferring to Mississippi State. He has 21 starts throughout his time in college football and he gave up three sacks in 2025 for the Bulldogs.

James likely steps into the Crimson Tide’s left tackle spot ahead of the new year. Alabama will be sporting a brand new left tackle for the first time in three seasons as Kadyn Proctor declared for the NFL Draft. He will be challenged for the position by Michigan transfer Ty Haywood and redshirt freshman Jackson Lloyd.

Ethan Fields is a 6-foot-4, 315-pound offensive lineman from Ole Miss. He was considered a 3-star prospect in the Class of 2023. He redshirted in 2023, played in four games in 2024, and appeared in five games in 2025.

Fields likely steps into one of Alabama’s vacated guard positions in 2026. The Crimson Tide saw Jaeden Roberts, Kam Dewberry and Geno VanDeMark all exhaust their eligibility, leaving both the right and left guard positions open. Fields brings SEC experience to the room and will challenge Will Sanders and Michigan transfer Kaden Strayhorn for a starting role.

Noah Rodgers is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound wide receiver from N.C. State. He appeared in 26 games, catching 68 passes for 919 yards and three touchdowns over the last two seasons and was considered the No. 8 wide receiver in the Class of 2023.

Rogers adds depth and experience to Alabama’s wide receiver room as he enters his redshirt junior season. His size and length make him an asset to a position group that lost Germie Bernard to graduation and Isaiah Horton to the transfer portal. The athletic pass catcher should thrive in opportunities opposite Ryan Williams and Lotzeir Brooks, as the coverage struggles to keep up with Alabama’s numerous options.

Honorable Mentions: Defensive lineman Devan Thompkins and edge rusher Desmond Umeozulu stand out as the two biggest names not to crack the top-five. Thompkins, out of Southern California is an experienced defender with 4.5 sacks in 27 games played. He will have an opportunity to start for the Crimson Tide at the defensive tackle position in Kane Wommack’s defense and could become key playmaker in the 2026 Alabama defense. Umeozulu played his last three seasons at South Carolina and looks to contribute as a pass-rusher along the defensive front. The senior was third on the Gamecocks in quarterback pressures last season, making him an exciting addition to Wommack’s side.

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Alabama

Scavenger hunt on the U.S.S. Alabama teaches kids navigation skills

Published

7 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Scavenger hunt on the U.S.S. Alabama teaches kids navigation skills

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Alabama

Tuberville residency challenge appealed to Alabama Supreme Court

Published

20 hours ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

Tuberville residency challenge appealed to Alabama Supreme Court

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Plaintiffs have appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court after a circuit judge last week dismissed their lawsuit against Republican gubernatorial candidate Tommy Tuberville.

The suit argues Tuberville does not meet the Alabama Constitution’s eligibility requirements to serve as governor.

In the appeal filing, plaintiff’s attorney Barry Ragsdale said the issue is “whether the circuit court had subject matter jurisdiction to hear Plaintiffs’ claims.”

It is unclear when the Alabama Supreme Court will rule.

Montgomery County Circuit Judge Brooke Reid ruled July 9 that the court did not have jurisdiction to hear the case.

The plaintiffs, two Alabama voters, claim Tuberville’s primary residence is in Florida and argue he does not meet the constitutional requirement that candidates for governor be Alabama residents for at least seven years before the general election.

On June 29, Tuberville’s legal team and the plaintiffs argued the case in Montgomery County Circuit Court.

Tuberville previously cleared a challenge from fellow Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken McFeeters.

The Alabama GOP Candidate Committee unanimously ruled Tuberville is qualified to run for governor, citing documentation including an Alabama driver’s license, voting record and tax returns.

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Alabama

What are the best SEC college football programs? Start with Alabama, Oklahoma

Published

1 day ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

What are the best SEC college football programs? Start with Alabama, Oklahoma

In certain outposts throughout the South, it’s pronounced “progrum,” not program.

However you say it, the SEC footprint houses some of the most celebrated and iconic college football programs in all the land, complete with rabid fanbases that breathe college football all year. Games are played in towering cathedrals where the crowds partake in what’s almost a religious experience on fall Saturdays.

When evaluating the SEC’s programs, recent results should be considered, but rankings also should reflect historical success, traditions, blue-blood status and fan support.

Here’s how I rank the SEC’s programs, top to bottom:

Alabama football is more than a program, and it’s bigger than an international brand. It’s a way of life. The Script A represents tradition and excellence. Alabama fans are plugged in year-round to their favorite sport, and expectations rarely dip. Coaches who thrive in T-Town are immortalized in bronze. The GOAT conversation runs through Alabama. Is it Nick Saban or Bear Bryant? Either way, it’s an Alabama coach.

2. Oklahoma

The crimson and cream have blue blood. Among SEC schools, Oklahoma trails only Alabama for all-time winning percentage. Double-digit win seasons remain the standard, although the 2000 Sooners remain OU’s last national champion. Oklahoma ruled the 1950s under Bud Wilkinson, then ran back their dominance with Barry Switzer’s wishbone in the 1970s and 80s. Seven Heisman winners point to the program’s star power.

3. Texas

Texas’ deep war chest suits the NIL era, but don’t mistake the Longhorns for the nouveau riche. They’re a traditional power that emerged from an inexcusable, prolonged slumber in between Mack Brown and Steve Sarkisian. Texas enjoyed its heyday in the Southwest Conference under Darrell Royal, but the Longhorns also showed their horns during the Brown era. They belong among the heavy hitters.

The Bulldogs don’t crack the list of blue bloods, but Kirby Smart made them look like one. Georgia has seized a place of persistent power that was long considered possible, because of the school’s location within fertile recruiting terrain. Smart flawlessly implemented Saban’s recruit-and-develop blueprint. We’re witnessing Georgia’s glory days, decades after Herschel Walker and Vince Dooley supplied the previous peak in the early 1980s.

5. LSU

LSU is the only program to have three coaches win a national championship in this millennium. Lane Kiffin could become the fourth. Money poured in to fund his roster. LSU’s standards are such that Brian Kelly got fired after winning 71% of his games. In-state talent gravitates to LSU, but the Tigers also built a national brand, and a night game at Tiger Stadium is a college football mecca.

6. Tennessee

Few states can match Tennessee’s unrelenting vigor for college football. Gen. Robert Neyland put the Vols on the map and got his name on the stadium. Johnny Majors earned a place of adoration. Phillip Fulmer’s Vols flourished in the 1990s. Since Fulmer, Tennessee’s ravenous fans infrequently had a chance to say, “It feels like ’98.” For too long, it felt more like dysfunction, but Tennessee recaptured respectability under Josh Heupel.

Few individuals mean more to a program than what Steve Spurrier means to Florida. He revolutionized the Gators from an also-ran into one of the premier programs of the 1990s. The Head Ball Coach branded The Swamp and gave the Gators an identity. They became SEC championship game regulars. Urban Meyer injected more glory with two titles. Florida lacks the consistency and history of some higher-ranked programs, but its peaks are just as lofty.

These are dark days for Auburn. The Tigers endured five consecutive losing seasons, their bleakest period since the late 1940s. Auburn’s loyal fan base deserves better. Recent woes aside, this accomplished program achieved undefeated seasons under three coaches since the 1990s. From Pat Sullivan to Bo Jackson to Cam Newton, Auburn produced decorated stars. Now, it just needs to pull out of this funk.

Trivia question: When did Texas A&M last win a national championship? Answer: 1939. The Aggies possess the financial resources, fan support and recruiting location to be top shelf, but greatness stubbornly eludes them. R.C. Slocum’s Aggies ruled the Southwest Conference in the early 1990s. Is it time for a fresh set of glory days? Mike Elko’s early returns suggest it’s safe for the Aggies to dream of ascending to their potential.

10. Mississippi

Those old enough to witness Johnny Vaught remember Ole Miss as a powerhouse. Those who watched Archie Manning remember the Rebels with a superstar. Then, Kiffin and Trinidad Chambliss made it so everyone can remember Ole Miss as a playoff team with a premier quarterback. Kiffin treated the Rebels like they were small by leaving for LSU, but not before spawning an uprising that showed the school’s potential in the NIL era.

Arkansas piled up Southwest Conference hardware under Frank Broyles, along with an undefeated season. The conference crowns ceased after Arkansas left in 1991 for the SEC, where there’s been more famine than feast for the Hogs. Even in the SEC, the Razorbacks enjoyed a few highlight seasons, but those uprisings are fading into the rearview mirror. The Hogs need another Darren McFadden.

The Tigers tout seven seasons of double-digit-wins in the past 20 years. They transitioned to the SEC better than many expected. Gary Pinkel became the best thing to happen to Mizzou since Dan Devine. Eliah Drinkwitz has been a gift, too. Anyone who’s a millennial or older can remember the program’s highlight moments, even if they never resulted in a Big 12 or SEC title.

13. Mississippi State

Dan Mullen and Mike Leach did it well for Mississippi State, but Starkville remains one of the toughest SEC outposts to win big or to sustain success. Jackie Sherrill’s 74 wins are the most for any Mississippi State coach. He needed 13 seasons to reach that number. You can’t take the cowbells away from Mississippi State, nor its 15-12 record in bowl games.

14. South Carolina

Spurrier’s successful 11-year run at South Carolina ranks among the best program-building feats in modern history. He won 11 games three seasons in a row, and his teams finished ranked in the top 10 each year. The Gamecocks never won 11 games before Spurrier, and they’ve never hit double digits since he left. Aside from Spurrier’s tenure, the peaks are few and far between.

A program that employed Bear Bryant (and finished 11-1 under the Bear in 1950) can’t rank last on this list, so here we arrive at Kentucky. What can we say about the Wildcats? Well, they own a winning record against Vanderbilt, and they occasionally aren’t as bad as you’d expect a basketball school to be. Mark Stoops got them to a respectable level, but was unable to keep things afloat.

16. Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt’s 10 wins last year register as its single-season record, so you could say the program’s never looked better. The less said, the better, about much of Vanderbilt’s history — unless you want to discuss the 1904 season. That year, Vanderbilt went 9-0 and outscored its competition 474-4. Glory days.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

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