Alabama football lands Virginia Tech LB transfer Caleb Woodson: What to know
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With Deontae Lawson, Nikhai Hill-Green and Justin Jefferson all gone, Alabama football has found its first answer to fill its linebacker room in 2026.
Alabama landed Virginia Tech linebacker transfer Caleb Woodson for the 2026 season, he confirmed on his social media.
Woodson is the third transfer the Crimson Tide has added in the 2026 cycle along with former Oklahoma State tight end Josh Ford and former NC State running back Hollywood Smothers.
Caleb Woodson stats
In three seasons at Virginia Tech in the Hokies‘ Star linebacker position, Woodson had 152 tackles, 11.5 tackles-for-loss and 210 sacks. He’s added one interception and three pass deflections.
Woodson was second on the Hokes with 58 tackles in 2025 despite missing three games against Wofford, NC State and Wake Forest.
A 6-foot-3, 230-pound linebacker, Woodson primarily lined up in the box, playing 325 of his 378 total snaps in 2025 from the middle. Woodson started his career splitting time between the box and the slot corner position equally.
Woodson was a three-star safety in the Hokies’ 2023 recruiting class out of Battlefield High School in Haymarket, Virginia.
Caleb Woodson eligibility: How many years does Alabama get?
Woodson played three full seasons for Virginia Tech, leaving him one season of eligibility at Alabama.
How Caleb Woodson fits with Alabama football
Woodson projects as Alabama’s weak-side linebacker, one that can prove to be versatile in both defending the pass in coverage to stopping the run as a traditional linebacker.
Xavier Griffin, a five-star freshman, is projected to land at that same Will linebacker position, one that Jihaad Campbell occupies.
But Woodson represents a stopgap until a player like Griffin is ready. And given Woodson’s positional versatility, he could be moved around to fill whatever linebacker position Alabama needs him to fill.
Alabama also expects players like Luke Metz, Duke Johnson II, Cayden Jones, QB Reese and Abduall Sanders Jr. to return in 2026.
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: Virginia Tech LB Caleb Woodson transfers to Alabama football
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