The Alabama Crimson Tide had a season that's hard to get a feeling on as this team made the College Football Playoff, but had some clear major flaws. Alabama only lost one game in SEC play, but the way that the Crimson Tide lost to Florida State, Georgia in the SEC Championship and to Indiana in the College Football Playoff shows there are clear flaws that need to be cleaned up.
Kalen DeBoer enters his third season at the helm in Tuscaloosa, and the pressure to win big is at it's peak. The roster is no longer filled with players Nick Saban recruited, as this team is now put together by Kalen DeBoer and Courtney Morgan.
Grading Alabama's additions in the Transfer Portal
Most Important Addition: Devan Thompkins
Replacing Tim Keenan and James Smith in the middle of the defensive line is a tough task, but Alabama handled it impressively in the Transfer Portal. The biggest pickup is USC Trojans defensive tackle Devan Thompkins who can jump right in on the defensive line. After recording 3 sacks this season, Thompkins has pass rush upside, and could develop into an elite player on the interior.
Most Impactful Addition: Caleb Woodson
Alabama had big holes to fill at the linebacker position as Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson, and Nikhai Hill-Green were all out of eligibility. One of Alabama's first additions was to help fill that void landing Virginia Tech star Caleb Woodson. In his career, Woodson has racked up 151 tackles, and will bring experience to the middle of this defense.
Sleeper Addition: Noah Rogers
As Alabama fans were reeling from missing out on Cam Coleman and losing Hollywood Smothers to Texas, they were given a great wide receiver in Noah Rogers. Coming out of High School, Rogers was a 5-star recruit signing with Ohio State, but he's found success at NC State. Rogers' production isn't off the charts, but his size will be a great compliment to the rest of Alabama's receivers.
Highest Upside Addition: Ty Haywood
During his initial recruitment, Ty Haywood was a consensus top-100 recruit, and at one point a 5-star recruit. Alabama held Haywood's commitment, but he ended up signing with Michigan, yet he ends up in Tuscaloosa a year later. Haywood has all the talent and traits to develop into an elite offensive lineman and could instantly fill either tackle position for the Tide.
Biggest Loss: Isaiah Horton
Last offseason, Alabama went out and added Miami star Isaiah Horton to help bring an impactful piece into the wide receiver room. Horton's production took a step back this season, but he was a solid player for Alabama catching 42 passes for 511 yards and 8 touchdowns this season. Alabama will still have a loaded wide receiver room, but Horton was far and away the most productive loss in the Transfer Portal.
Offensive Grade: B
Alabama had a clear biggest need after the run game was a mess last season which was to improve the offensive line. The Crimson Tide took swings on 6 offensive linemen, and if some can emerge as pieces with what Alabama has coming back this could be a great group. Not landing a running back does hurt as Alabama clearly saw it as a priority pushing for Hollywood Smothers when the Transfer Portal opened.
Defensive Grade: B+
Alabama had massive needs on the defensive line and at linebacker which they needed to supplement using the Transfer portal. Adding Devan Thompkins and Terrance Green on the interior will help a ton especially if the two continue to develop. As Alabama loses LT Overton to the NFL, it would've been helpful to go out and land an elite pass rusher off the edge.
Overall Grade: B
It's clear that Alabama had an approach this offseason, and it was to add pieces they can develop rather than engaging in big bidding wars. The grade on Alabama's transfer additions can fluctuate either way if they hit on their additions or if the players fail to take that next step. Overall, it would've been better to see Alabama add a few more pieces that were steady players, but if Alabama can help these players take the next step it could be a home run.