Recruiting rewind: Alabama adds another transfer to cap off busy week
Alabama has already signed 28 players in this year’s class and is unlikely to bring in anyone else by National Signing Day on Feb. 1. However, there’s still plenty of news on the recruiting trail as the Crimson Tide looks to add to its 2024 class and beyond.
Wednesday also marked the closing of the first window of the transfer portal, providing Alabama with a feel of who will be on the team come the spring. With all of that in mind, here are some of the stories that have materialized during the past week.
Plenty of action in the portal
Thursday night continued a busy week in the transfer portal as Alabama received its second transfer commitment of the offseaosn in Georgia linebacker Trezmen Marshall. Last month, Alabama added Maryland tight end C.J. Dippre.
Marshall played in 35 games across four seasons at Georgia, recording 31 career stops. Over 14 games last season, the 6-foot-1, 230-pound defender registered 19 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss and one sack with an interception.
The addition of Marshall comes two days after Alabama saw inside linebacker Demouy Kennedy enter the transfer portal. The Crimson Tide will also be without its two senior starters in Henry To'oTo'o and Jaylen Moody next season. Rising redshirt sophomore Deontae Lawson is expected to fill one of those starting spots. Marshall, a rising super senior, will compete with junior college transfer Justin Jefferson as well as Kendrick Blackshire, Jihaad Campbell and Shawn Murphy for the other opening.
Alabama saw another transfer departure last weekend as receiver Tyler Harrell entered the portal. The former Louisville receiver’s explosive numbers did not carry over into last season. Instead, due to injury, Harrell was limited to just six games in his only season in Tuscaloosa. Now he will seek a new destination and perhaps a new start in another uniform for his final year of eligibility.
That opens the door for early enrollee Malik Benson to display some of the same attributes Crimson Tide faithful expected from Harrell. The top junior college recruit nationally, Benson had more than 2,100 yards and 21 touchdowns in two seasons at the JUCO level in Kansas.
“He has a lot of maturity,” Alabama receiver Ja’Corey Brooks said leading up to last month’s Sugar Bowl. “I’ve seen he’s got a lot of quick agility. I love his style of play.”
Benson worked with the team in the buildup to the Sugar Bowl game and therefore has experience practicing collegiately. That, along with his skillset, affords him the chance to start fast at a key position and make an instant impact in 2023.
Julian Sayin still ‘all Crimson Tide’ after big offer
Ohio State fired its best shot at Alabama’s five-star quarterback of the future, but Julian Sayin isn’t budging from his commitment to the Crimson Tide.
Ohio State offered Sayin on Wednesday after visiting him at his school. Despite sharing a close relationship with Buckeyes’ quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis, the Carlsbad, California native politely passed on Ohio State’s advances.
“I respond to the coaches I’ve built relationships with out of respect for them and I met coach Dennis back when I was a freshman,” Sayin explained to Rivals. “But it’s all Crimson Tide over here.”
Sayin committed to Alabama in early November. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound passer is rated as the No. 2 pro-style quarterback and No. 4 overall player in next year’s class. He threw for 2,708 yards and 27 touchdowns with four interceptions during his junior season last year.
McClain finally flips to Colorado
Alabama fans holding their breath for the possibility of the Crimson Tide flipping five-star cornerback Cormani McClain can reluctantly exhale. McClain did indeed flip his commitment from Miami on Thursday evening, but he chose Colorado and first-year head coach Deion Sanders over Nick Saban and Alabama.
Colorado was one of three teams in contention to flip McClain as Alabama and Florida were also vying for his services. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound defender is rated as the top cornerback and No. 3 overall player in this year’s class and would have been a nice late addition to the Crimson Tide’s top-rated class.
Still, Alabama was able to keep its secondary stocked in this year’s class. The Crimson Tide added two five-star defensive backs, including Caleb Downs, the nation’s top safety, and Desmond Ricks, who ranks right behind McClain as the No. 2 cornerback inthis year’s class. In addition to those two, Alabama also added a pair of in-state Rivals100 members in Jahlil Hurley and Tony Mitchell as well as four-star Mississippi native Brayson Hubbard.
Junior Day yields offers
Last weekend’s Junior Day was productive for Alabama as it hosted some top up-and-coming talent. The Crimson Tide ended up extending a trio of offers during the festivities.
— Linebacker D’Angelo Barber is an Alabama native in the class of 2024 who plays at Clay-Chalkville High School. The Crimson Tide’s offer is his second at the Power Five level.
— Defensive end Terrance Hibbler Jr., a 2024 product of Holmes County High School in Mississippi, now has offers from both Alabama and Auburn to go with a number of others from his home state.
— Class of 2025 athlete Na’eem Offord can now add Alabama to a list of offers that also includes UAB, Auburn, Alabama State and more. He played two ways at Parker High School in 2022.
Alabama commit visits in-state rival
Class of 2024 tight end Martavious Collins took a visit east to the Auburn Tigers this past weekend. He’s been committed to Alabama since the summer of 2022. The four-star Rome, Ga. native is the 22nd-ranked recruit in the state. Collins plays for Rome High School and last visited Alabama in June. His SEC offers include Alabama, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas, LSU and Georgia.
Nick Saban makes his rounds
The Crimson Tide coaching staff has been visiting high schools across the country this week. Alabama head coach Nick Saban has made stops at the following locations since Jan. 17:
— Lindale, Texas
— Lancaster, Texas
— Desoto, Texas
— Westlake, Georgia
— Parkview, Georgia
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