Despite making it to the College Football Playoff, there appears to be a mini exodus from the Alabama Crimson Tide by several players hitting the transfer portal.
Videos by FanBuzz
According to ESPN, nine players hit the portal on Wednesday and more have followed.
Going back to December 4, here are the Crimson Tide players that have hit the portal.
- WR Thaiu Jones-Bell (undecided)
- WR Ja'Corey Brooks (transferred to Louisville)
- DL Isaiah Hastings (appears to be transferring to either Michigan State or Boston College)
- DL Anquin Barnes (transferring to Colorado)
- TE Miles Kitselman (undecided)
- WR Malik Benson (undecided)
- QB Eli Holstein (undecided)
- CB Kristian Story (undecided)
- DL Monkell Goodwine (undecided)
- WR Shazz Preston (undecided)
- OL Seth McLaughlin (undecided)
- OL Terrence Ferguson (undecided)
- LB Ian Jackson (undecided)
The most notable names of those players include McLaughlin, Brooks, Ferguson, and Holstein.
McLaughlin was the starting center this past season and has two years of eligibility remaining. He allowed one sack and 14 pressures.
Brooks was a big part of their 2022 run but was virtually non-existent this past season with the emergence of Jermaine Burton and Isaiah Bond.
Ferguson has been with Alabama since 2021 but hasn't played much. Still, he's valuable offensive line depth.
Finally, per ESPN, Holstein was one of the top 25 overall prospects in the 2023 recruiting class. Incumbent starting quarterback Jalen Milroe is returning in 2024, so it's clear that Holstein wants to play as early as next season. He was also in the same class as Dylan Lonergan, who's also on the Crimson Tide depth chart.
However, McLaughlin might not need to wait long to find a new landing spot. He's reportedly headed to visit Ohio State.
Alabama offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin’s visit with Ohio State will continue today and has gone well so far for the Buckeyes.
It's expected he'll visit Ole Miss and there are a number of other schools attempting to bring him in.
However there is some confidence that this… pic.twitter.com/c7alFdVfma
— The Scarlet and Gray Podcast (@TheSG_Podcast) January 5, 2024
It's certainly surprising to see this many players fleeing the Crimson Tide, but the bulk of them are players who have played sparingly or not at all, and they're looking for starting opportunities elsewhere.
As for the Tide, they've landed some excellent players in the portal, including OT Naquil Betrand, CB Domani Jackson, and DL LT Overton.
