JessN: A Look Ahead to 2025 Roster Moves :: ADDED - 2024-2025 Portal Tracker

[JessN]

Getting a lot of questions about what the 2025 roster will look like and how Bama will manage the transfer portal. Here's our first look at it, along with the summary of the issues surrounding the 105 for next year, portal, etc. Long but comprehensive:
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A Look Ahead to 2025 Roster Moves
by Jess Nicholas, TideFans.com Editor-In-Chief

With the early signing period in the rear-view mirror, and Alabama only involved with a handful of yet-unsigned prospects, the most important period coming up for setting the 2025 roster will actually take place while the 2024 season is still ongoing.

That period, of course, is the opening of the fall transfer portal, which begins Dec. 9 and continues through Dec. 28. If Alabama is selected for the College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide will play its first game either Dec. 20 or 21. If Alabama were to win its opening-round matchup, the quarterfinal round would take place Dec. 31, 2024 – Jan. 1, 2025.

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A Look Ahead to 2025 Roster Moves

With the early signing period in the rear-view mirror, and Alabama only involved with a handful of yet-unsigned prospects, the most important period coming up for setting the 2025 roster will actua…

news.tidefans.com

PLAYERS CURRENTLY IN THE PORTAL:
OL Naquil Betrand --> Syracuse
OT Miles McVay --> North Carolina
OT Elijah Pritchett --> Nebraska
DE Keanu Koht --> Vanderbilt
DL Hunter Osborne --> Virginia
DT Jeheim Oatis --> Colorado
DT Damon Payne Jr. --> Michigan
WR Kobe Prentice --> Baylor
WR Kendrick Law --> Kentucky
WR Caleb Odom --> Ole Miss
WR Emmanuel Henderson Jr. --> Kansas
WR Jaren Hamilton --> Arizona State
WR Amari Jefferson --> Tennessee
TE Danny Lewis Jr. (Withdrew name from portal, will return to Alabama)
TE Ty Lockwood --> Boston College
QB Dylan Lonergan --> Boston College
RB Justice Haynes --> Michigan
CB Jahlil Hurley --> Kansas
CB Jaylen Mbakwe (Withdrew name from portal, will return to Alabama)
S Devonta Smith --> Notre Dame
S King Mack --> Penn State
LB Jayshawn Ross --> Kansas State
LB Jeremiah Alexander --> Clemson
LB Sterling Dixon --> North Carolina State
LB Justin Okoronkwo --> South Carolina

PLAYERS EXPECTED TO BE ADDED FROM THE PORTAL:
P Blake Doud (Colorado School of Mines)
LS David Bird (California)
DL Kelby Collins (Florida)
CB Cameron Calhoun (Utah)
WR Isaiah Horton (Miami)
OL Kam Dewberry (Texas A&M)
LB Nikhai Hill-Green (Colorado)
OT Arkel Anugwom (Ball State)
TE Peter Knudson (Weber State)
RB Dre'lyn Washington (Louisiana)

 

[Tideflyer]

Getting a lot of questions about what the 2025 roster will look like and how Bama will manage the transfer portal. Here's our first look at it, along with the summary of the issues surrounding the 105 for next year, portal, etc. Long but comprehensive:

A Look Ahead to 2025 Roster Moves

With the early signing period in the rear-view mirror, and Alabama only involved with a handful of yet-unsigned prospects, the most important period coming up for setting the 2025 roster will actua…

news.tidefans.com

So….my question is this. Hurley and Prentice have announced that they intend to enter the portal and transfer. Are they or are they not eligible to play in any upcoming playoff or bowl game? If this has been answered elsewhere, my apologies. Can’t keep up!

 

[BamaNation]

So….my question is this. Hurley and Prentice have announced that they intend to enter the portal and transfer. Are they or are they not eligible to play in any upcoming playoff or bowl game? If this has been answered elsewhere, my apologies. Can’t keep up!

Let's hope that "eligible" or not, that if you decide that you don't want to be a part of the team... that you are not part of the team.

The structure puts players in a tight spot - but as I keep saying, you want to be a pro, we're going to treat you like a pro. That means you have to make adult decisions.

 

[Cruiser]

Great write up; really shows the complexities of roster management now in college football.
Thanks!

 

[Bama Lee]

Nice write up…. That a ton of turnover! How will teams build chemistry?

 

[JessN]

Let's hope that "eligible" or not, that if you decide that you don't want to be a part of the team... that you are not part of the team.

The structure puts players in a tight spot - but as I keep saying, you want to be a pro, we're going to treat you like a pro. That means you have to make adult decisions.

I think it's going to prove to be somewhat of a problem for the teams ranked around 9-12 in the playoffs going forward; it's very possible to make a team completely non-competitive if enough players leave at a certain position. Let's say James Burnip wanted to transfer after the season (he can't, obviously, but let's just say for the sake of argument). That leaves you going into the playoffs with Nick Serpa and Anderson Green at punter, neither of whom has ever kicked in a game. The problem gets even worse if Brailsford or Ryan Williams or Jihaad Campbell decided to transfer.

I think teams are going to have to be flexible or an entire season could go down the drain in an instant. If Bama lost 20-30 guys to the portal at once, we're not a playoff team anymore, IMO.

Nice write up…. That a ton of turnover! How will teams build chemistry?

They really won't, not the way they used to. It's going to be a year-to-year thing and you'll see wider swings in teams' records going forward. You're just going to have to hope it clicks on a year-to-year basis.

 

[BamaNation]

I think it's going to prove to be somewhat of a problem for the teams ranked around 9-12 in the playoffs going forward; it's very possible to make a team completely non-competitive if enough players leave at a certain position. Let's say James Burnip wanted to transfer after the season (he can't, obviously, but let's just say for the sake of argument). That leaves you going into the playoffs with Nick Serpa and Anderson Green at punter, neither of whom has ever kicked in a game. The problem gets even worse if Brailsford or Ryan Williams or Jihaad Campbell decided to transfer.

I think teams are going to have to be flexible or an entire season could go down the drain in an instant. If Bama lost 20-30 guys to the portal at once, we're not a playoff team anymore, IMO.

which is why the portal opening before mid-january is asinine.

 

[JessN]

which is why the portal opening before mid-january is asinine.

From a football standpoint I agree, but from an academic standpoint I'm not sure how they can avoid it. If you don't open the portal until mid/late January, guys aren't going to be able to find new schools and get to them before Feb. 1. For better or worse, it's still college and maintaining eligibility is a concern after you jump schools.

Basically the college football season needs to be over the week of Jan. 1-7 like it used to be but we keep extending it in the name of making more money.

 

[B1GTide]

From a football standpoint I agree, but from an academic standpoint I'm not sure how they can avoid it. If you don't open the portal until mid/late January, guys aren't going to be able to find new schools and get to them before Feb. 1. For better or worse, it's still college and maintaining eligibility is a concern after you jump schools.

Basically the college football season needs to be over the week of Jan. 1-7 like it used to be but we keep extending it in the name of making more money.

This hasn't been about academics for years. Time to stop pretending.

 

[BamaNation]

From a football standpoint I agree, but from an academic standpoint I'm not sure how they can avoid it. If you don't open the portal until mid/late January, guys aren't going to be able to find new schools and get to them before Feb. 1. For better or worse, it's still college and maintaining eligibility is a concern after you jump schools.

Basically the college football season needs to be over the week of Jan. 1-7 like it used to be but we keep extending it in the name of making more money.

Yep totally. Academics are about the 10th thing on the list of considerations. and, thus, my in essant comments about making adult decisions / taking the consequences. You wanna transfer? Great. Figure out which school will take you after semester starts.

 

[JessN]

This hasn't been about academics for years. Time to stop pretending.

That's fine but the system has to change first to allow for mid-semester transfers. Right now it's a spaghetti of APR scores, transcript rules and arbitrary deadlines.

However, if you take those restrictions off, you end up with the possibility of guys making not just a mid-semester transfer, but potentially a midseason transfer. I don't want my guys walking out of my locker room in October and into my rival's locker room the next week, even if he wasn't able to actually play.

 

[B1GTide]

That's fine but the system has to change first to allow for mid-semester transfers. Right now it's a spaghetti of APR scores, transcript rules and arbitrary deadlines.

However, if you take those restrictions off, you end up with the possibility of guys making not just a mid-semester transfer, but potentially a midseason transfer. I don't want my guys walking out of my locker room in October and into my rival's locker room the next week, even if he wasn't able to actually play.

Or you could only allow summer transfers. Seems pretty simple to me.

 

[JessN]

Or you could only allow summer transfers. Seems pretty simple to me.

Pretty sure going forward that they won't be able to restrict athletes to any degree more than they restrict non-athlete students. Students can make transfers between semesters so athletes must be given the same opportunity. Anything that restricts player agency is going to have a hard time getting past the courts.

 

[B1GTide]

Pretty sure going forward that they won't be able to restrict athletes to any degree more than they restrict non-athlete students. Students can make transfers between semesters so athletes must be given the same opportunity. Anything that restricts player agency is going to have a hard time getting past the courts.

Need a CBA and union

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Pretty sure going forward that they won't be able to restrict athletes to any degree more than they restrict non-athlete students. Students can make transfers between semesters so athletes must be given the same opportunity. Anything that restricts player agency is going to have a hard time getting past the courts.

I hate it, but you’re right.

CBA is the quickest, simplest solution.

The battle is that, at the elite level, individual players have all the power— they neither need nor want a union. Versus the other 80% - 90% who would benefit.

Who wins — a few players who control a bunch of money, or a bunch of players who control less money?

I don’t know. But it does make for an interesting debate.

The other possibility on which I’ve heard some rumblings from folks far more knowledgeable than me is that the IRS will get a bit more focused.

As I’m told, the relationship between the universities, the collectives, direct payments to players, who pays whose salaries, where the money from their fund-raising efforts go, etc. could affect the universities’ ability to issue tax-exempt bonds. Which would be a monumental problem.

As much as I hate the IRS, it could end up providing what we need— uniform and universal enforceability across all 50 states that will stand up in court.

 

[Rocky Mtn Bob]

It may have been already said, but I see the 2025 season as the first season it will be CKD's roster/team. (Instead of this season, where DeBoer was greatly focused on KEEPING Saban's roster.)

Jess, I don't know how you did this to me, but I'm already JAZZED for next year!

 

[Tideflyer]

That's fine but the system has to change first to allow for mid-semester transfers. Right now it's a spaghetti of APR scores, transcript rules and arbitrary deadlines.

However, if you take those restrictions off, you end up with the possibility of guys making not just a mid-semester transfer, but potentially a midseason transfer. I don't want my guys walking out of my locker room in October and into my rival's locker room the next week, even if he wasn't able to actually play.

Sort of along these lines, the game is moving more towards a group of guys that are more of a temporary, loose confederation than what many of us grew up knowing as a “ team”.

 

[BamaSC]

So we should start seeing movement now. Can’t imagine the team that plays the bowl game will resemble the regular season team .

 

[B1GTide]

So we should start seeing movement now. Can’t imagine the team that plays the bowl game will resemble the regular season team .

The banquet is tonight. I expect the movement to start tomorrow.

 

[TIDE24]

I saw today that Milroe intends to come back to Bama next year. Does anyone know if this is true?