By Chris Marler
Is it time to panic in Tuscaloosa?
I understand that the title of this article can only be viewed in one of two ways.
One, it’s overly dramatic and way too early to panic. Two, yeah. Duh.
Honestly, either answer can be objectively defended at this point. Perhaps that alone is cause for concern for the folks in Tuscaloosa.
To be clear, this isn’t about Kalen Deboer going 9-3 or losing to 6-6 teams in Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. It’s not even a theatrical, and brilliant mind you, troll asking if “Bama is burning” like my boss Matt Moscona loves to ask every few weeks or so.
This isn’t supposed to be anything like that. It’s just an honest question that needs to be discussed. Given everything that was aforementioned from the season and combine it with what has transpired over the first eight days of the transfer portal window, is it time to panic at Alabama?
The sky may not be falling on Alabama’s program yet, but what’s happening in the transfer portal over the last 12 months has to be discussed.
I said this repeatedly last year after Nick Saban retired, a few months before the 2024 team was labeled as the most talented team in the country from 247Sports. Regardless of what high school star ratings were compiled, viewing that Alabama roster as the most talented in the country was objectively false. It wasn’t even close.
You don’t lose 41 players in the portal in one offseason and expect to have an equitable transaction of talent gained. Not when you’ve signed a top three class every year, and especially not when you were unable to add players from the portal because of the rules in place and calendar circumstances. Keep in mind that not only did Alabama lose 41 players, but when the spring portal window opened after spring practice they weren’t able to add SEC players with immediate eligibility for the fall.
Losing 41 players was an anomaly because of Saban. But what we saw then is the same thing we saw in years prior. And, it’s the same thing we are seeing now.
From 2022 to 2024 Alabama lost 70 total players in the portal. They brought in just 24, and 14 of those were last year when you lost 27 more players than that. The previous two years you only brought in five players from the portal while losing 39.
Fast forward to 2025 and the hellscape that Kalen Deboer and Alabama fans everywhere are currently experiencing. Alabama has lost 15 players in the portal and replaced those roster spots with a grand total of zero additions. To be fair, there are still several weeks left in this portal window, but to pretend that logical and rational point is going to somehow calm the meltdown currently happening in the fanbase is almost as foolish as thinking you wouldn’t take a step back after losing the greatest coach in college football history.
Alabama is one of 10 Power Four teams in the country not participating in the College Football Playoff without a portal addition. They are one of only three teams in the SEC without a player gained from the portal. The other two are Georgia and Tennessee who are a bit preoccupied doing the things that Alabama used to do this time of year. Those teams have a playoff to prepare for.
All in all, Alabama has lost 85 players in the portal over the last four years according to On3. They’ve brought in just 24 as I type. That’s a deficit of 61 players lost on the roster in just four years.
Is it time to panic? I’m not sure. But it is definitely time to address the real issues that are happening to this program before it gets worse.
