Under Coach Nick Saban, Alabama was highly picky about how it used the transfer portal. Saban’s lineups were already laden with talent, so he never needed to bring in an influx of transfers, instead choosing to methodically shore up deficiencies throughout the lineup.
In the long run, I expect Coach Kalen DeBoer to pursue a similar method. In his first offseason with the program, however, DeBoer had to accept more transfers than usual to account for the roster churn caused by the Alabama coaching change.
Under Saban, impact transfers such as Jameson Williams (2021) and Jahmyr Gibbs (2022) were so successful that they only lasted in Tuscaloosa for one season.
Williams led Alabama in 2021 with 1,542 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, with two more coming on kick returns. The quick wideout was a first-team All-American, a Biletnikoff Award finalist, and was on his way to leading Alabama to a national championship until suffering a knee injury that terminated his season early. Williams was selected in the first round of the NFL draft that spring, despite having a ruptured ACL.
Jahmyr Gibbs had a similar influence on the Alabama offense in 2022, leading the team in rushing yards (926) and receptions (44). He finished the season with 1,628 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns, earning second-team All-American honors and a first-round draft pick.
Will any of the Tide’s 14 incoming transfers achieve this level of success in 2024?
Several players, including tackle Kadyn Proctor, safety King Mack and Kam Howard, quarterback Austin Mack,
The Transfers that could be one and done for Alabama 2024
and offensive lineman Naquil Betrand, are only starting their second seasons of collegiate football. This means kids must attend school at least until the 2025 season, regardless of their accomplishment. On the other hand, kicker Graham Nicholson has only one year of eligibility and must leave after 2024. Neither of these players meets the one-and-done requirement.
Others, such as cornerback DaShawn Jones, offensive lineman Geno VanDeMark, tight end Josh Cuevas, and defensive lineman LT Overton, will not have well defined responsibilities in 2024. Of course, any of them could break out this season, but they will all be depth players or vying for starter roles.
The four Alabama transfer additions that are most likely to be one-and-dones are junior wide receiver Germie Bernard, redshirt sophomore center Parker Brailsford, junior cornerback Domani Jackson, and redshirt sophomore safety Keon Sabb. All four are draft eligible athletes who are expected to begin the 2024 season as starters at their positions. If they play well this fall, any of them might become highly regarded by the NFL and enter the draft following the season.
Brailsford was one of the best centers in the country for Washington last season and will compete for the 2024 Rimington Award while spearheading the Crimson Tide offense. Jackson was a consensus 5-star recruit in the 2022 class and was expected to be drafted in the first round someday. This season, as Alabama’s CB1, he will have the opportunity to live up to the hype.
Bernard (formerly of Washington) and Sabb (Michigan) played minor, complimentary roles for their respective teams last season. However, both showed great promise and contributed to teams that advanced to the national championship game. In 2024, they will play larger roles on another title-contending team in Tuscaloosa.
Personally, I believe Germie Bernard and Domani Jackson have the greatest NFL upside of this transfer bunch, and hence are most likely to explode this season and become one-and-done NFL draft picks.
