SEC Powerhouse Replacing 17 Starters Given ‘C’ Transfer Portal Grade

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Alabama football is entering a period of significant transition following an 11-4 campaign in 2025. The program must find a way to replace 17 starters, a staggering figure even for a team accustomed to high roster turnover. While many of Alabama’s peers in the SEC have turned to the transfer portal to aggressively reload their depth charts, the Crimson Tide have remained relatively conservative. This selective approach has led to skepticism regarding the team’s ability to maintain its championship standard in the immediate future.

Manny Navarro of The Athletic recently gave Alabama a C grade for its transfer portal haul, placing the program among the lowest in the conference. This assessment highlights a growing gap between Alabama’s traditional development model and the portal-heavy strategies adopted by its rivals.

Why Alabama’s transfer portal strategy received a C grade

Dec 19, 2025; Norman, OK, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Wilkin Formby (75) against the Oklahoma Sooners during the CFP National Playoff First Round at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The mediocre grade stems largely from the volume of proven talent exiting Tuscaloosa compared to the experience arriving. Alabama lost 23 players to the portal while adding only 17. More importantly, the Tide lost three key starters to direct rivals.

Receiver Isaiah Horton and right tackle Wilkin Formby both departed for Texas A&M, while defensive tackle James Smith joined Ohio State. These moves do not just hurt Alabama’s depth; they actively strengthen the rosters of national title contenders and conference opponents.

To fill these gaps, Alabama added 16 players, but only six were regular starters in 2025. The haul is headlined by North Carolina State transfer wide receiver Noah Rogers, who recorded 33 catches for 441 yards last season. Rogers is expected to be a primary target as one of only two receivers on the roster with more than three career starts.

The program also addressed the defensive line by adding Terrance Green from Oregon and Devan Thompkins from USC. Regarding Green, insider Clint Lamb noted that the defensive front needed a big-bodied nose to shore up the middle of the defense.

Despite these additions, the national analysis suggests Alabama is falling behind the curve in the SEC arms race. Programs like LSU and Texas A&M earned A grades by signing over 10 FBS starters each. Even Florida and Arkansas, which are coming off losing seasons, secured higher marks than the Crimson Tide.

As noted by Navarro, “it’s clear that Alabama is counting on its own recruiting and player development rather than reloading through the portal.”

The program signed the No. 2 high school class in the country, following the No. 3 class from the previous year.

Alabama will hold its annual A-Day spring game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, April 18, at 2 p.m. ET.