Alabama

The FSU football transfer portal raid on Alabama’s roster

Published

2 years ago

February 26, 2024

The FSU football transfer portal raid on Alabama’s roster

As speculation swirled about Florida State coach Mike Norvell replacing Nick Saban at Alabama last month, TJ Ferguson found himself looking at it from the opposite side. He was in the transfer portal considering a move from âBama to FSU.

âCoach Norvellâs message to me was just: âIâm here,ââ Ferguson said.

Now Ferguson is here, too â along with four of his former Crimson Tide teammates.

The quintet has brought an infusion of talent from Tuscaloosa to Tallahassee. All were blue-chip transfers in a portal class ranked fourth by 247Sports. Three were top-100 national recruits in high school: running back Roydell Williams, linebacker Shawn Murphy and Ferguson, an offensive lineman. A fourth (defensive back Earl Little Jr.) was 106th, and the fifth (receiver Malik Benson) was the nationâs top junior college prospect.

The group isnât as top-heavy as the Alabama expats at Ohio State (second-team All-American Caleb Downs) or Texas (Iron Bowl hero Isaiah Bond and Lakewood High alumnus Amari Niblack), but no team has signed more players from the Tideâs diaspora than the Seminoles.

âI think honestly with all of us here, I feel like we can bring some of Alabama to Florida State and mix our cultures up,â Murphy said. âI think that would be great for all of us.â

Shawn Murphy is one of the five Alabama players who transferred to FSU. [ VASHA HUNT | AP (2022) ]

Murphy is an outlier in the group; heâs the only one who entered the portal after Sabanâs stunning retirement. Benson and Little were already committed to FSU by then. Ferguson chose the âNoles a day after Saban announced his retirement â and a day before Norvell announced he was staying at FSU.

The key figure in this migration, then, isnât Saban. Itâs Norvell.

He and his FSU staff offered all five players the first time. The âNoles were serious contenders for Ferguson, Little and Murphy in high school.

âI feel like it might not have been the right time then, but that played a big role in why Iâm here now,â Ferguson said. âAnd I feel like itâs the right time now.â

You donât have to look hard to understand why.

When Little was deciding on his first college, âBama was on its way to the national title game (again). FSU was 5-7. Since then, Florida State is 23-4. The turnaround Norvell talked about in Littleâs first recruitment has come to fruition.

Earl Little Jr. (right) strongly considered FSU as a high school recruit but picked Alabama instead. [ VASHA HUNT | AP (2022) ]

âWith Coach Norvell saying that he was going to do that and actually standing on his word and accomplishing that great goal, bringing that success to the program?â Little said. âThat was a great thing.â

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It could have been greater, of course. FSU started last season 13-0 and won the ACC but was left out of the College Football Playoff in favor of â¦ Alabama. If that dynamic sounds awkward, it doesnât have to be. Everett Golson quarterbacked Notre Dameâs last-second loss in a top-five matchup at FSU in 2014, then started for the âNoles the next year. It happens.

Though every member of the âBama bunch picked FSU individually, their connections played a part, too.

After Little committed on Jan. 6, Benson asked what he liked. Two days later, Benson committed and started fielding calls and texts from other teammates in the portal. They wanted to know what Tallahassee was like and, in the case of Williams, where to eat.

âYouâve got to come see for yourself,â Benson told them.

A week later, the other three were on board.

Malik Benson had 13 catches (one touchdown) last season at Alabama. [ VASHA HUNT | AP (2023) ]

âIt makes it way easier to transition to everything going on,â Murphy said. âYou see familiar faces, and youâre not doing it alone.â

Their decisions came at a crucial time for their new program. FSU lost 42% of last seasonâs production, ranking 83rd in the nation and third-to-last in the ACC, according to ESPN. Itâs reasonable to expect the âNoles to slip after all this turnover â unless the newcomers star.

The Alabama additions bring a combined 100 games of experience. Three started at least once. Little bolsters a secondary that lost three starters, while Williams and Benson can help replace NFL-bound stars Trey Benson and Keon Coleman.

But any optimism is based more on potential than proven ability. Though Williams was Alabamaâs No. 2 rusher and scored the go-ahead touchdown at USF, the others were more role players than stars. Then again, Jermaine Johnson was a role player at another heavyweight (Georgia) before he got to FSU. He left as the ACCâs defensive player of the year and a first-round NFL draft pick.

âAll of us being here, itâs just like a little brotherhood that was already formed,â Benson said. âWe bring it here, and we can bring what we know to this team, and itâs going to make the team stronger.â

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Alabama

Who has Alabama football lost in the transfer portal so far?

Published

6 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Who has Alabama football lost in the transfer portal so far?

Alabama football has already seen some of its roster clear out via the transfer portal in the days following its loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. The Crimson Tide will likely see more attrition in the coming days, with players allowed to enter through Jan. 16.

As of Monday morning, 15 Alabama players had entered the portal. Here’s a look at what the Crimson Tide is losing via transfer.

Cam Calhoun

The Utah transfer was a backup cornerback for the Crimson Tide this season. He played a major role on special teams but had trouble cracking the lineup on defense for Alabama.

Calhoun began his college career at Michigan

Rico Scott

Scott was perhaps the fastest receiver on the team, but there were too many players on the depth chart ahead of him. Scott finished the year with 11 catches for 55 yards.

Keon Keeley

When he arrived in Tuscaloosa, Keeley was one of the nation’s top recruits, at the edge position. After a year with the Tide, he moved over to the more traditional defensive end spot that Kane Wommack calls the “bandit.”

Keeley finally was able to make an impact on the field this year after two season on the bench. He likely could have played an increased role with LT Overton off to the NFL, but opted to portal instead.

Wilkin Formby

Formby moved around in Alabama’s lineup during the 2025 season, his first as a full-time starter. He began the year at tackle, but wound up playing right guard as Michael Carroll took over the outside spot.

Cole Adams

Adams was the Crimson Tide’s primary punt returner. However, he didn’t have much of a role at wide receiver.

The Oklahoma native had five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown this season.

Micah DeBose

DeBose joined Alabama as a highly touted recruit before the 2025 season. He saw action in just one game for the Crimson Tide this year, against Eastern Illinois.

Peter Notaro

The Alabama kicking game was an issue at times during the 2025 season. Notaro battled with Conor Talty for the starting job in preseason camp, but Talty eventually earned the spot.

Notaro was a five-star kicker in the 2025 recruiting class according to Kohl’s.

Noah Carter

Carter was a four-star edge recruit for the Crimson Tide ahead of the 2024 season. He redshirted that season, but got more action in 2025.

He finished the year with nine total tackles before deciding to find greener pastures.

Olaus Alinen

Alinen was not a major part of what was an extremely large offensive line rotation this season. The member of Alabama’s 2023 recruiting class earned the most praise from coaches due to his versatility, with the native of Finland able to play both guard and tackle.

Jalen Hale

Hale was a contributor at receiver in 2023, before a major leg injury cost him the 2024 campaign. He returned in 2025, but wasn’t able to get significant playing time at receiver given the amount of talent ahead of him.

Joseph Ionata

Ionata was listed as Alabama’s backup center during the 2025 season. However, when it came down to it, Geno VanDeMark slid to the spot if Parker Brailsford needed to leave the field.

The redshirt freshman did see some playing time on special teams.

Jaylen Mbakwe

Mbakwe joined Alabama as a five-star prospect in the 2024 class and proceeded to have an interesting career in Tuscaloosa. He spent most of 2024 as a defensive back, before deciding to enter the transfer portal, then backing out and switching to wide receiver before the ReliaQuest Bowl.

He stuck at wideout for 2025, without seeing major playing time at that position.

Richard Young

Some turnover among Alabama’s running backs came as no surprise. Young was thought of as a potential starter at running back, but got lost in a struggling rotation.

He finished 2025 with 23 carries for 64 yards and two touchdowns.

Roq Montgomery

Montgomery did not see the field during the 2025 season. He had been a special teams contributor in 2024, and saw some snaps on the offensive line as well.

Kam Howard

Howard spent two seasons as a cornerback in Tuscaloosa after transferring in from Charlotte. He didn’t play much in 2025, finishing the year with two tackles.

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Alabama

A major overhaul ahead for the Alabama Crimson Tide offensive line

Published

18 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

A major overhaul ahead for the Alabama Crimson Tide offensive line

The first phase of good news for the Alabama Crimson Tide is happening. While indications are the two best Alabama offensive linemen will move to the NFL, there are eight other (and counting) offensive linemen who not return for the 2026 season. Three are out of eligibility: Jaeden Roberts, Kam Dewberry, and Geno Van DeMark. Five more are portal entries: Micah DeBose, Joe Ionata, Olaus Alinen, Roq Montgomery, and Wilkin Formby.

Why is the attrition good news? There are two reasons. Kalen DeBoer’s offensive lines have needed skill sets in short supply the last two seasons. His offense needs agile, quick-footed offensive linemen. Not many Alabama football fans will disagree, but for those who do, when two late-season games (Georgia and Indiana) are lost by a combined 56 points, a major overhaul is required.

For an offensive line overhaul, the Crimson Tide needed to free up roster slots, to improve talent, and reallocate money. The count of returning offensive linemen (as of late afternoon on Jan. 4) is six: Mike Carroll, Casey Poe, Jackson Lloyd, Mal Waldrep, Red Sanders, and Arkel Anugwon. In addition, the 2026 class added five more: Tyrell Miller (JUCO), Jared Doughty, Chris Booker, Bear Fretwell, and Bryson Cooley

Next for the Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama could get lucky and have Parker Brailsford decide to play another season of college ball. Assuming that luck will not occur, three or four offensive linemen need to be added through the Portal. At least two of them need to be tabbed as near-locks to start in next fall’s season opener.

So far, the only target known publicly is Texas State center, Brock Riker. New targets are expected to surface soon, some of whom may not be in the portal yet. According to Yahoo Sports, Riker has been targeted by at least nine Power Four programs, with more offers expected soon.

The large number of transfer exits may be an indication that offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic will also move on. Many Alabama football fans are looking forward to DeBoer bringing in a new OL coach.

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Alabama

Alabama outside linebacker to reportedly enter NCAA transfer portal

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Alabama outside linebacker to reportedly enter NCAA transfer portal

According to a report from ESPN’s Max Olson, Alabama Crimson Tide outside linebacker Noah Carter is set to enter the NCAA transfer portal following two seasons in Tuscaloosa.

Carter is the first Alabama outside linebacker to enter the transfer portal so far this cycle.

The outside linebacker originally came to Alabama as a member of the Crimson Tide’s 2024 class, and was one of the first big commitments of the Kalen DeBoer era. Then, Carter was rated as the nation’s No. 109 overall prospect, as well as No. 9 edge rusher nationally, out of Centennial High School in Arizona, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

During his two seasons at Alabama, Carter posted a combined 11 tackles and 0.5 TFL across 14 games played. The outside linebacker appeared in 11 games this past season, posting nine tackles and 0.5 TFL.

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