Alabama landed the commitment of star transfer running back Hollywood Smothers on Jan. 5. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Smothers did not sign with Alabama and instead signed with Texas.
Alabama had the star running back on campus on Jan. 4, just two days after the portal opened. The staff felt strongly about getting a commitment from Smothers, and on Jan. 5, he committed to Alabama.
Rumors began circulating on Jan. 8 that Smothers would visit Texas, a surprise because it had not been communicated to the Alabama staff, and they were under the impression that he was committed to the program. Smothers even enrolled himself in classes for the spring semester in Tuscaloosa.
Smothers reportedly made it to Austin for his visit on Jan. 10 and flipped his commitment from Alabama to Texas.
The No. 1 player in the transfer portal, Cam Coleman, was another target for the Alabama staff. With only five wide receivers on the roster and pass-catcher Isaiah Horton unexpectedly entering the transfer portal, Coleman would come in and play the big-body receiver position that the offensive staff loves.
Alabama felt it was in a good position to land a commitment from the in-state native, and Alabama defensive back Red Morgan even helped push for it on social media.
Coleman made multiple visits to his top four schools, including Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech and Alabama. Of course, the three schools in Texas have among the largest NIL funds in college football.
Alabama was the final visit for Coleman during his time in the portal. He arrived in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 10 and left the following day. Alabama basketball hosted Texas in Coleman Coliseum on Jan. 10 as well and ended up taking the loss.
If losing to an unranked Texas basketball team wasn’t enough for fans to be upset, Coleman announced his commitment to Texas the following day, right around the same time Smothers had committed to Texas.
According to multiple reports, Alabama never really had a shot at landing a commitment from Coleman. Given the money being offered to Coleman, Alabama was not close to matching the three schools in Texas.
“I would think Texas paid $3 to $3.5 million, and maybe even more,” On3 CEO Shannon Terry said in a post on X. “I doubt Alabama was even in the ballpark.”
With the transfer portal closing on Jan. 16, the staff still has positions they would like to fill and depth pieces they want to add to the roster. The losses of Smothers and Coleman highlight the new reality of college football recruiting, where NIL money has become as important as tradition and coaching. For a program like Alabama, accustomed to landing top talent, these back-to-back losses show that college football has changed.
