While in the throes of the spring NCAA transfer portal window, Alabama football defensive coordinator Kane Wommack made Kalen DeBoer’s mindset plain.
When it comes to the transfer portal, Wommack said, DeBoer is proactive, he’s relational. He understands that college football is a business, but keeps what’s important to him at the forefront.
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“We are trying to bring out the best of these young men to maximize their opportunities as individuals and our opportunities, right, as a team,” Wommack told WNSP 105.5 FM in Mobile April 22. “And those things go hand in hand. People think you either got to go get yours or you can sacrifice for the team. The truth is high tides raise all boats.”
It’s what makes the Alabama roster so attractive when the transfer portal is open. Teams want Crimson Tide starters, Wommack said, but they also want Alabama’s second- and third-string players.
It’s something, Wommack said, Alabama must keep in mind, especially as the staff uses the days into summer defining depth chart spots into fall. But in this particular transfer portal period, Wommack said he and Alabama weren’t expecting any surprises.
“We have had numerous meetings with players and reached out to their families and representatives and all those things to kind of make sure we’re all on the same page so that we’re not surprised by anything,” Wommack said. “And I think, to this point, we’re in a really good place.”
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After the spring portal period, Alabama remained intact, holding onto each scholarship player on the roster while losing a handful of non-scholarship players.
And while the Crimson Tide can continue to pitch and recruit players currently in the portal, the lack of movement surrounding potential roster additions seems to show where Alabama stands.
Here’s a look at what the Crimson Tide’s spring NCAA transfer portal period looked like, and what it could mean moving forward.
Alabama football NCAA transfer portal losses
Alabama left the spring transfer portal window without losing a scholarship player. And for the Crimson Tide, that is a big development.
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Before the portal, DeBoer gave a word of warning for players considering the transfer portal.
“We can talk about the stories of guys who have come in and said how great it is here, or guys that have left and, you know, maybe even wishing they could come back,” DeBoer said. “Be careful what you ask for. The grass is definitely not greener on the other side.”
And as the window closes, it seems as though Alabama players have bought in.
Alabama football NCAA transfer portal gains
While Alabama can continue to add portal players after the window is closed if desired, the Crimson Tide seemingly added the depth it needed at tight end.
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Alabama used the spring portal period to add two tight ends in West Virginia’s Jack Sammarco and Troy’s Brody Dalton, each of whom are primarily inline run blocking options which turned into a desperate position of need after spring.
Sammarco has three seasons of eligibility remaining after one season with the Mountaineers and has high hopes of developing into a complete tight end for the Crimson Tide. Dalton has one season left of eligibility after two seasons as primarily a run blocker split between UAB and Troy.
With Sammarco and Dalton, Alabama now has a safety net between its two-man freshman class ― Marshall Pritchett and Kaleb Edwards ― and starting reps immediately, along with bodies to allow the room as a whole to get healthy, a room that only had one scholarship option available at the end of spring in Jay Lindsey.
What’s next for Alabama football after NCAA transfer portal window?
In an ideal world, Alabama would have added depth on its offensive line, especially at right tackle, which has ample inexperience behind starter Wilkin Formby.
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Alabama also could have looked at depth pieces on the interior of the defensive line behind James Smith and Tim Keenan III, even with players like Jeremiah Beaman and Edric Hill receiving consistent praise throughout spring.
Alabama could have added a punter to compete with Alex Asparuhov, the freshman who has been injured in spring, and Blake Doud, who has seemingly struggled to transition from Colorado School of Mines to the Crimson Tide.
But with starting roles set, depth is only but a luxury for Alabama, a luxury the Crimson Tide capitalized on at the position it most needed it at.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.Â
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football next steps after NCAA transfer portal spring window
