Alabama adds Washington freshman, in-state DL via NCAA transfer portal

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A former Birmingham high school football player is heading back to Alabama.

University of Washington defensive lineman Caleb Smith is transferring to Alabama football, he confirmed Tuesday, Jan. 13, on social media.

Smith played for Parker High School in Birmingham and was a member of the 2025 recruiting class.

Smith is the 13th transfer to join Alabama, along with former USC defensive lineman Devan Thompkins and former Mississippi State defensive lineman Kedrick Bingley-Jones.

Caleb Smith stats

Smith did not play during his freshman season at Washington.

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive lineman did produce at Parker, though. In 2024, Smith had 47 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, per MaxPreps.

Smith was a three-star prospect in 2025 and was nationally ranked as the No. 936 player and the No. 105 defensive lineman per 247Sports’ composite rankings.

Caleb Smith eligibility for Alabama football

After redshirting his first season with Washington, Smith has four seasons of eligibility remaining with Alabama.

What Caleb Smith means for Alabama football

Alabama is not just in a produce-now mode for its defensive line.

The Crimson Tide made that a priority in adding Thompkins and Bingley-Jones, who also have four seasons of eligibility and are expected to make an impact right away.

Smith is a long-term play, one to build up in the future as Alabama looks to fill holes on the interior left by players like Tim Keenan III and James Smith, and Bandit defensive end LT Overton.

Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Washington DL Caleb Smith transfers to Alabama football

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