Alabama OL Olaus Alinen plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal
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Alabama offensive lineman Olaus Alinen plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Hayes Fawcett. Alinen spent three seasons with the Crimson Tide.
He appeared in all 15 of the team’s games this season. He primarily served on special teams units for the Crimson Tide, but occasionally received snaps on the offensive line.
Alinen also played in all 13 of Alabama’s games in the 2024 campaign. During the season, he recorded several knockdown blocks and helped the Crimson Tide finish with a 9-4 overall record. Alinen only played in four games during his true freshman season and ultimately redshirted.
Olaus Alinen played high school football at The Loomis Chaffee School (CT), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 168 overall player and No. 12 offensive tackle in the 2023 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.
Alinen is originally from Finland, but moved to the United State ahead of his junior year of high school to play football. He is the eighth Alabama player to announce his intent to enter the transfer portal.
Alabama’s season ended Thursday when it suffered a 38-3 loss to Indiana in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The Crimson Tide never found a rhythm on offense, recording just 193 total yards and 11 first downs.
Most notably, Alabama notched 23 yards on 17 rushing attempts. Alabama starting quarterback Ty Simpson left the game in the third quarter after taking several massive hits. After the game, Simpson revealed he’d suffered a “cracked” rib.
Next season will be Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer‘s third at the helm of the Crimson Tide. The program improved under his supervision this season, appearing in the SEC Championship and receiving a CFP bid.
Nonetheless, Alabama fans will be hungry for more success in the near future. They won’t be the only ones who are determined to reach new heights.
“You’ve got guys that are moving on and it’s the last game they play here. They’ve got careers at the next level. Then you’ve got guys that you want to start laying the groundwork for the future,” DeBoer said after the loss Thursday. “… You’ve got to go back to starting over from scratch with putting the people around you, the right people, committing to something, a common goal together and the actions following it.
“… It’s a fine line between being here and being at the top. But we’ve got to do the work. We’ve got to put the work in. You’ve got to believe. You’ve got to be consistent. You’ve got to have discipline. We’ll get back to work and start all over again.”
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
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