When the NCAA spring transfer portal window slammed shut late last week, it left a sharp, resonating echo across Tuscaloosa. Under first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer, Alabama football moved swiftly and decisively through the two-week frenzy, reshaping a roster that had once seemed uncertain after Nick Saban’s retirement. Now, the Crimson Tide looks like a retooled machine, bruised but dangerous, carrying both scars and fresh armor into 2025.
The outgoing departures stung. Quarterback Ty Simpson, once projected as Bryce Young’s heir apparent, entered the portal early and committed to Miami within days. Along with Simpson, Alabama lost key contributors like defensive back Earl Little Jr. and linebacker Shawn Murphy, both seeking more immediate playing time elsewhere. These exits, while heavy, were not unexpected—DeBoer had been frank about the brutal competition to come.
Yet for every departure, Alabama struck back with equal or greater force. Perhaps the biggest win of the window came when former Washington quarterback Austin Mack, who had initially followed DeBoer to Tuscaloosa in the winter, reaffirmed his commitment amidst heavy poaching efforts from Big Ten schools. Mack, young but poised, will now compete with Jalen Milroe for starting duties, injecting new intrigue into the quarterback battle.
On the defensive side, Alabama pulled a coup by landing All-Pac-12 linebacker Easton Gibbs from Wyoming, a tackling machine whose instincts and toughness fit perfectly into new defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s vision. Gibbs is expected to start immediately, filling the leadership void left by the graduation of Deontae Lawson.
Perhaps most thrilling for Tide fans was the surprise addition of wide receiver Evan Stewart from Texas A&M. Stewart, a former five-star recruit, entered the portal unexpectedly and was heavily courted by programs nationwide. Alabama’s NIL infrastructure and DeBoer’s offensive reputation sealed the deal. Stewart brings elite speed and playmaking ability to a receiving corps that sorely missed a true gamebreaker last season.
In total, Alabama welcomed six portal additions and waved goodbye to eleven players. The net loss in numbers was offset by a massive gain in top-end talent, leadership, and positional need. More than anything, it symbolized that DeBoer wasn’t just managing transition—he was commanding it.
Inside the Mal Moore Athletic Facility, there’s an unmistakable energy—a blend of pressure and possibility. The returning veterans have embraced the portal newcomers with cautious optimism, understanding the message DeBoer’s moves sent: spots are earned now, not inherited.
“We’re building something tough, something new,” DeBoer said during a post-portal press conference, his voice low but confident. “Alabama doesn’t rebuild. We reload.”
The road ahead is brutal, as always. Georgia looms. Texas comes to Bryant-Denny early. LSU remains a lurking threat. But after the portal chaos, Alabama emerges sharper and more dangerous, forged through a month of uncertainty and hard decisions.
The Saban era is over. The DeBoer era is here—and if the spring portal window was any sign, Alabama isn’t going quietly into the night. They’re coming, still.
