Does Alabama have a championship-caliber defense?
Alabama’s OL is rolling, but the best might be yet to come
Nick Saban talks about COVID-19 treatment
A former Alabama defensive lineman is headed out West as redshirt freshman Ishmael Sopsher announced he is transferring to Southern California on Friday night.
Sopsher, 6-foot-4, 310 pounds was rated as the No. 72 overall player and No. 3 defensive tackle in the 2019 class. He did not play a snap for Alabama this season and appeared in just 11 snaps over one game last year. Sopsher put his name in the NCAA transfer portal on Oct. 21.
Despite not seeing much playing time last season, the four-star defensive lineman appeared to have made strides over the offseason. According to Alabama's roster, Sopsher dropped 24 pounds, more than any other Tide player.
"He’s a lot quicker, stronger, more powerful," Alabama defensive lineman D.J. Dale said in September. "And yeah, when he shredded the weight off, you just saw his quickness and everything.”
Sopsher is now the 11th player to leave Alabama by way of transfer since last season, joining Giles Amos (Arkansas State), linebacker Markail Benton (Jacksonville State), cornerback Scooby Carter (Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College), running back Jerome Ford (Cincinnati), linebacker Kevin Harris II (Georgia Tech), defensive back Nigel Knott (East Carolina), offensive tackle Scott Lashley (Mississippi State), receiver Tyrell Shavers (Mississippi State), receiver Chadarius Townsend (Texas Tech) and quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (Maryland).
