Early transfer portal expectations for the Alabama Crimson Tide – who could leave, and what holes need to be filled most
Here are the positions and names we are looking at ahead of next week’s portal opening.
The Alabama Crimson Tide has their biggest game of the season this week. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, against the undefeated, top-ranked Indiana Hoosiers. That game has the full and undivided attention of the coaching staff and the players. However, the personnel staffers at Alabama are busy with something else.
See, just hours after the final whistle blows in Pasadena, the transfer portal will open on Jan. 2. So to gear up for what could be a busy portal for the Tide, A to Z Sports Alabama contributor, Josh Taylor, and I broke down what the portal could look like for Alabama, with some intel along the way.
Potential Alabama transfer portal departures
WR Ryan Williams
Ryan Williams is Alabama through and through. The Mobile native has the big A tattooed on him, and he’s still one of the more beloved players who wears crimson and white. The problem is, much of that comes from his freshman season.
In year two, Williams has regressed across every key stat and numerous metrics. His production took a major hit in terms of yards, receptions, touchdowns, and even yards per catch. The only thing that increased was his FBS-leading drop rate. That’s not requisite of a player making the NIL money that Williams is. A big game in the Rose Bowl can change everything and keep Williams as a roster lock, but if he underwhelms, you have to wonder if a change of scenery is warranted.
“This might be a hot take, but I don’t think Ryan Williams hits the portal. I could see Isaiah Horton entering the draft with Germie Bernard after the season, and Williams will have a massive opportunity to prove people wrong. His struggles aren’t because of a lack of development, and going somewhere else probably won’t just magically fix what he has going on.”
“He’s been a player who has loved Alabama, and his best bet would be staying with Kalen DeBoer and new WR coach Derrick Nix to continue his growth to get back to making big plays. There will be a ton of young WRs on the roster next season, even though Lotzier Brooks already looks like a veteran player, so I could see Alabama adding another transfer as they did with Horton and Bernard.” – Taylor
So if Williams were to leave, who would be some names to watch at WR? We have you covered.
Potential Alabama transfer portal additions
WR Naeshaun Montgomery
Sources have told A to Z Sports that Alabama is interested in adding a veteran and a young WR in the portal. Montgomery fits into the latter category after redshirting his freshman year with the Gators in 2o25, later announcing he would enter the transfer portal.
Sources explain that Alabama is high on Montgomery, and a recent recruiting pitch included a phone call from freshman sensation Lotzeir Brooks, who took an official visit with Montgomery during their high school recruitment.
The former four-star fits the mold of Jerry Jeudy as a lengthy route runner with enough speed to stretch the field vertically, but who shines with the ball in the air and over the middle, making tight window grabs with an excellent pair of hands.
So, how about the veteran?
WR Cam Coleman
It would be quite the heel turn to see Coleman switch from the Tigers to the Tide, but sources say Alabama is interested in Coleman, as are many teams following his first two seasons at Auburn. The would-be true junior in 2026 is an incredible vertical presence who performed amid coaching and QB turmoil.
Coleman officially entered the portal on Monday, and his old OC, Derrick Nix…guess where he’s coaching in 2026? Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Other positions of note
“The quarterback position will be a very interesting topic when the season ends, and Ty Simpson will be the huge domino to fall. Did he save his draft stock against Oklahoma, or does he need another impressive showing against Indiana, too, for him to actually enter the draft? If he decides to return to school, would he transfer out, or would Alabama ask Keelon Russell to sit another season, which would be a big ask, and maybe too risky?”
If Russell decides to leave, does that mean Austin Mack stays just in case? There are a lot of questions to ask about the quarterbacks, and still a lot left to be discovered, but keeping Russell around is priority number one regardless.” – Taylor
All you have to do is look at the Senior Bowl acceptances to see that Alabama will need to lean heavily into the portal on defense. Inside backers like Justin Jefferson and Deontae Lawson will be gone, the big man Tim Keenan is headed out, and EDGE rusher LT Overton has his eyes set on the NFL as well.
That’s before we get to a secondary that could see the loss of three starters via Domani Jackson, Bray Hubbard, and Keon Sabb. The other position to watch will be running back. A lack of production and injuries marred the 2025 season, and Alabama could look to add a veteran behind their signal caller.
Regardless, it figures to be a busy weekend for the Tide.
Alabama Crimson Tide News
Indiana HC Curt Cignetti changes his tune a bit when talking about Kalen DeBoer and his matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide
The normally brash head coach of the Hoosiers was a little more complimentary when it came to Alabama.
