Alabama IOL Joseph Ionata plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal
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Alabama interior offensive lineman Joseph Ionata plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Pete Nakos. Ionata spent two seasons with the Crimson Tide.
He appeared in 13 games for Alabama this season, primarily serving on special teams. When he wasn’t on the field with the special teams units, he was serving as Alabama’s backup center. Ionata only played in two games during his true freshman season in 2024 before ultimately redshirting.
Joseph Ionata played high school football at Calvary Christian (FL), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 512 overall player and No. 45 interior offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.
Ionata is the sixth Alabama player to announce his intent to enter the transfer portal. Alabama was the No. 61 team in On3’s 2025 Team Transfer Portal Rankings and will look to have a strong offseason in 2026.
Alabama’s season ended on 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. DeBoer is ready to bring that success to Tuscaloosa.
“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. “… 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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