It’s transition season in Tuscaloosa. March Madness has ended and so has the hustle and bustle of spring camp. The next week will be spent shuffling through mock drafts and refreshing the transfer portal for new entrants and possible targets.

Alabama’s football and basketball teams are both busy restocking their rosters. That process is going a bit slower than some Tide fans would have hoped, but there’s still plenty of reason for optimism for both programs.

Kalen DeBoer is off to a quiet start to the spring transfer window, but he did bring back starting left tackle Kadyn Proctor while avoiding any major departures last week. Targets are beginning to emerge for the Crimson Tide, and additions should start to trickle in for areas of need in the coming days.

Nate Oats lost a few key pieces from Alabama’s Final Four run but has been able to find solid replacements out of the portal. After securing a pair of sharpshooting guards in Houston Mallette (Pepperdine) and Chris Youngblood (South Florida), the Tide added to its transfer haul Saturday, receiving a commitment from Auburn point guard Aden Holloway. Next up on Oats’ list will be reeling in a rim protector before waiting on draft decisions from Mark Sears and Grant Nelson.

In the middle of all of that, the NFL draft will take place from Thursday to Saturday. Terrion Arnold, J.C. Latham Kool-Aid McKinstry and Dallas Turner have all been projected as first-round picks, while Nick Saban’s final Alabama draft class could see as many as nine players selected over the three-day span.

There’s plenty to discuss, so pour yourself a drink, and let's dive in.

The grass always seems greener on the other side. More often than not, it’s just a little different. Sometimes that’s all you need.

The Manhattan is one of the most classic cocktails in existence. Two ounces of rye whiskey, an ounce of sweet vermouth, a couple dashes of Angostura bitters and a brandied cherry will give you a well-balanced and spirit-forward drink.

Still, society loves variety, and tis the season for change.

The Manhattan’s been tinkered with quite a bit since its introduction in the 1880s. Several of those spinoffs have been named after other New York boroughs such as “the Bronx” and “the Brooklyn.” One of those is the Greenpoint, which gets its name from the Brooklyn neighborhood it was created in.

While the bones of the drink are similar to the Manhattan, the Greenpoint’s main difference is the introduction of yellow Chartreuse, a French herbal liquor with notes of honey, citrus, anise and saffron. It also calls for a dash of Angostura bitters as well as a dash of orange bitters. These additions might seem subtle, but like a good transfer class, they can turn into game-changers when paired correctly.

For this drink, add two ounces of rye whiskey, a half ounce of yellow Chartreuse, a half ounce of sweet vermouth, and dashes of both bitters into a mixing glass and stir with ice. From there, strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Cheers!

(Commercial break: My drink of the week section is now sponsored by my friends at Session Cocktails in Tuscaloosa. Session has been a mainstay in Tuscaloosa’s cocktail scene since 2019 and offers some of the tastiest drinks in town. Stop by and tell them I said hi!)

Don’t crack out the domino gif just yet, but it’s becoming increasingly possible for Alabama basketball to assemble its best-ever roster next season. The following calls for a heavy dose of offseason optimism, but for a moment, imagine the Tide rolling out this rotation next fall.

Starting five

G — Mark Sears

G — Latrell Wrightsell

G — Houston Mallette

F— Grant Nelson

C — Clifford Omoruyi

Bench

G — Aden Holloway

G — Chris Youngblood

F — Derrion Reid

F — Jarin Stevenson

C — Aiden Sherrell

F — Mouhamed Dioubate

F — Naas Cunningham

C — Mo Wague

Far-fetched? Certainly. But maybe not as much as you would initially think.

Alabama isn’t expected to see any more transfer departures, so the majority of this hypothetical roster is already set. Rutgers transfer center Clifford Omoruyi is the only projected addition here. However, this scenario does involve both Sears and Nelson snubbing the pros for another college season.

Collectively, that perfect storm seems impossible. But, if you break down each piece of the puzzle individually, things get a bit more interesting.

Mark Sears: It’s going to be hard for Sears to improve his draft stock after averaging 21.5 points per game and shooting 43.6% from beyond the arc last season. However, even with those gaudy numbers, the star guard isn’t guaranteed to be selected in this year’s NBA draft.

Meanwhile, Alabama has made it increasingly enticing to return, as sources told Tide Illustrated that the NIL package planned for Sears is expected to exceed $700,000. While that’s less than the NBA minimum, it’s quite a bit more than Sears would make on a two-way contract.

Grant Nelson: Nelson seems less likely to return, but Alabama also has a lucrative NIL package set up for him should he decide to do so. Like Sears, Nelson isn’t guaranteed to be selected in this year’s NBA draft and could also find himself in a situation where staying makes sense monetarily. That being said, Alabama’s NIL package for him is thought to be significantly less than Sears’.

Clifford Omoruyi: Even if Alabama can’t convince Nelson to return, it could beef up its frontcourt significantly by plucking Omoruyi out of the portal. The 6-foot-11, 240-pound big man averaged, 10.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks for Rutgers last season and is arguably the top rim protector available.

Omoruyi is considering a visit to Alabama next weekend. If the Tide can get him on campus, it should have plenty of NIL money to throw his way should he elect to commit.

If Alabama was able to secure even two of those three, it would become one of the nation’s top title contenders. At the very least, some form of Sears return/replacement paired with a rim protector should have the Tide in good shape come the fall.

Not counting Proctor, who served as Alabama’s prodigal son over the past four months, the Crimson Tide has brought in eight college transfers this offseason. Here’s my assessment of how they rank since joining the team.

1. Germie Bernard (WR, Washington): Bernard was the most electric player during last weekend’s A-Day game and could end up being Alabama’s top receiver this fall. The 6-foot-1, 203-pound junior is capable of lining up both inside and outside and showed he can make contested catches downfield.

2. Domani Jackson (CB, Southern California): Jackson is coming off a somewhat rocky season at Southern California but was solid for Alabama this spring, drawing praise from both coaches and players. If the junior continues to live up to his five-star potential, he’ll be one of the key pieces in the Tide’s secondary this fall.

3. Keon Sabb (S, Michigan): Sabb, a junior, also brings experience to Alabama’s young secondary. After starting five games for Michigan last season, he’ll take on a first-team role next to Malachi Moore at the back of Alabama’s secondary. Last month, DeBoer said Sabb has an “it factor” and should be one of the leaders on defense.

4. LT Overton (DL, Texas A&M): Overton didn’t get the start on A-Day but still figures to be a big part of Alabama’s rotation on the defensive line this fall. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound junior is perfectly built for the Bandit role in defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s 4-2-5 defense. He should split time with Jah-Marien Latham at that spot while allowing the Tide to keep its edge rushers fresh throughout games.

5. Josh Cuevas (TE, Washington): Cuevas didn’t receive the same hype as some of Alabama’s other transfer additions, but the redshirt junior tight end figures to be a contributor on offense this fall. Cuevas proved himself as a capable blocker this spring while also coming up with a few athletic grabs in scrimmages. He could see the field along with starter C.J. Dippre when the Tide works out of 12 personnel.

6. Austin Mack (QB, Washington): Mack enrolled at Washington early last fall and is still just 17 years old. The redshirt freshman quarterback flashed his arm talent at times during camp and is someone to keep an eye on moving forward.

7. Naquil Betrand (OT, Texas A&M): Betrand isn’t likely to see much of the field this fall as he looks to develop at the tackle position. Still, the redshirt freshman participated in all of spring camp, giving him a temporary edge over the Tide’s other offensive line addition.

8. Parker Brailsford (C, Washington): It’s hard to judge Brailsford as he’s missed the majority of spring camp due to non-football issues. The redshirt sophomore is rated as one of the top returning offensive linemen in the nation and was a starter on Washington’s Joe Moore Award-winning unit last season. If he can shake off his off-field issues, he has the talent to shoot up this list.

Dallas Turner will be the first defensive player off the board

Turner will likely have to wait behind a slew of offensive players before he hears his name called Thursday night. However, Alabama’s star edge is a strong contender to be the first defensive player off the board. If so, it will mark the second straight year a Tide player has accomplished the feat. Will Anderson Jr. was the first defensive player selected last year when the Houston Texans took him with the No. 3 overall pick.

Alabama will have two cornerbacks selected in the first round

Saban’s final draft class might see a first for the Crimson Tide. If Arnold and McKinstry both come off the board Thursday, it will mark the first time Alabama has had multiple cornerbacks taken in the first round. Arnold is projected to be a top-20 pick while McKinstry is expected to land somewhere between the bottom of the first round and the early second round.

Jermaine Burton is off the board by the end of Day 2

Despite leading Alabama in receiving the past two seasons, Burton failed to maintain consistency during his time in Tuscaloosa. Still, the 6-foot, 196-pound receiver has plenty of the tools NFL teams like and ran an impressive 4.45 time in the 40-yard dash during the combine. Don’t be surprised if he sneaks into the third round on Friday.

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