Shockwaves reverberated throughout the college football world and Alabama football’s roster when Nick Saban abruptly retired, leading to the hire of new Alabama head coach Kalen Deboer.
After Saban’s retirement on Jan. 10, 10 Alabama players entered the transfer portal — utilizing the 30-day window given to teams when their head coach retires — three players committed to the Crimson Tide from the portal, and six high school prospects decommitted from the program (one of whom has since recommitted).
It’s a time of change in Tuscaloosa, so here’s everything you may have missed from the first month of DeBoer’s tenure as the Alabama head football coach.
Transfer portal shakeup
After the 30-day window closed on Feb. 10, 10 players in total decided to leave the program, leaving holes in Alabama’s roster.
The first blow came a mere two days after Saban’s retirement, when rising junior wide receiver Isaiah Bond — who caught the game-winning touchdown pass against Auburn — entered the transfer portal. Shortly after, he committed to Saban’s former assistant Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns also received a commitment from Alabama’s starting tight end last year, rising junior Amari Niblack.
The Crimson Tide also lost a pair of crucial rising sophomores: All-American safety Caleb Downs and former five-star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor. Despite hailing from Georgia, Downs opted to commit to the Ohio State Buckeyes over the Georgia Bulldogs. Proctor decided to return home and commit to the Iowa Hawkeyes, an hour and a half away from where he attended high school.
The most shocking entry of the window was five-star early enrollee freshman Julian Sayin. Sayin, a highly sought-after prospect, had been committed to the Crimson Tide since November 2023 and was practicing with the team in preparation for the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game.
His transfer portal entry came just a day after the Crimson Tide added former Washington quarterback and rising sophomore Austin Mack via the transfer portal.
Former Washington quarterback and Heisman finalist Michael Penix Jr., who played under DeBoer, spoke highly of his former teammate Mack.
“Y’all are going to get a great quarterback,” Penix said. “He’s going to be great. He’s a guy that works extremely hard. He’s a guy that wants to get better. He wants to compete as well. He’s going to be a dude; I’m not going to lie. He’s going to be a dude.”
Aside from the former Husky quarterback, DeBoer added two other transfers from Washington.
Rising junior wide receiver Germie Bernard arrives in Tuscaloosa looking to carve out a significant role with the Crimson Tide given that the team had three NFL-caliber receivers ahead of him.
After Alabama had snapping issues throughout last season, DeBoer is also bringing down second-team All-Pac 12 and rising sophomore center Parker Brailsford. Brailsford is a bit undersized, but was a part of Washington’s Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line.
Early action on the recruiting trail
Despite currently being in a recruiting dead period, DeBoer and his coaching staff made their presence felt in the recruiting scene.
Amid the sudden announcement of Saban’s retirement, highly sought-after five-star wide receiver Ryan Williams from Saraland, Alabama quickly withdrew his commitment from the Crimson Tide. Williams committed to Alabama in October 2021, but late efforts from Auburn and Texas A&M added a dramatic twist to his recruitment.
Four days after DeBoer’s hire, Williams unexpectedly visited Tuscaloosa to meet the new coaching staff.
The following weekend, Williams and his family had an official visit, where he continued to develop relationships with the coaching staff.
Three days after his official visit wrapped up, on Jan. 24, Williams announced his recommitment with a video on X, formerly Twitter.
The 17-year-old signed with the Crimson Tide on National Signing Day at Saraland High School, where he became one of the most decorated players in Alabama high school football history. Williams became the only player in Alabama history to win Mr. Football and Gatorade Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. Williams’ career with the Spartans also included a 6A state championship title in 2022.
Williams said the new Alabama head coach made his process easy.
“Anyone else that probably came into that position, they will try to live up to the Coach Saban hype or try to act like Coach Saban,” Williams said. “He [DeBoer] is himself; he is very comfortable in himself, he made me very comfortable, and I believe in his offense.”
DeBoer and staff also landed a flip from former Washington signee and rusher Noah Carter, who hails from Peoria, Arizona.
Carter signed with Washington on Early National Signing Day in December, but following DeBoer’s departure from Seattle, Carter quickly asked out of his national letter of intent and visited Tuscaloosa.
Carter then committed to the Crimson Tide on Jan. 25, becoming the second recruit of the DeBoer regime in Alabama.
Carter, a top 100 prospect, played offense and defense at Centennial High School and was named the Arizona Cardinals High School Defensive Player of the Year after his senior season.
Carter attributed his quick choice to follow DeBoer to his comfort with the coaching staff.
“Just my trust that I’ve built throughout this whole process with Coach DeBoer, Coach [Courtney] Morgan, [Ryan] Grubb, and Coach [JaMarcus Shephard],” Carter said. “Just having my trust in Coach DeBoer because he has his trust in me. That’s what led to it.”
Aside from those two significant commitments, Alabama hosted its first Junior Day under DeBoer on Feb. 3. The Crimson Tide hosted 30-plus prospects from the 2025 and 2026 classes, including 2026 top overall prospect defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, top 100 running back Anthony Rogers, and top 100 athlete Derick Smith, among others.
