Transfer portal: Alabama departures after Nick Saban retirement find new homes, headline recent commitments

The number of transfer portal departures leaving Alabama is approaching 30 after legendary head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement last week. The mass exodus for the Crimson Tide has resulted in double-digit blue-chip recruits searching for a new home elsewhere in college football. Several of those quickly found their respective landing spot, including touted cornerback Dezz Ricks, who is on the move to Texas A&M.

The Aggies moved to the top of the transfer portal rankings for the 2024 cycle with their recent additions. Despite losing more than a dozen players to the portal with the exit of Jimbo Fisher and subsequent hiring of Mike Elko, the new staff in College Station has gone to work piecing together a talented roster for next season.

Three former Alabama players are among the top-five best-available prospects in the transfer portal as the latest wave of movement continues following a round of coaching changes throughout college football as a result of Saban’s retirement.

Miami edged out in-state rival Florida for one of the best available defensive backs in the transfer portal. Former Washington safety Mishael Powell will spend his senior season with the Hurricanes after helping the Huskies to a runner-up finish in the College Football Playoff. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder recorded 38 total tackles, three interceptions — including one returned for a touchdown — and three pass breakups in the secondary this season.

Kendrick Blackshire served in a backup role during his three years at Alabama. The 6-foot-2, 233-pound linebacker played in a total of 24 games. Blackshire recorded a career-high 16 total tackles this past season with one tackle for loss, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. He now returns to his home state of Texas to spend his final year of eligibility with the Longhorns while also competing for an increased role on defense.

Dorian Singer spent just one season at USC in 2023 after earning All-Pac-12 First Team honors the year prior at Arizona. The 6-foot, 180-pound wide receiver is on the move again and will spend the 2024 campaign at Utah. Singer had a breakout season in 2022 when he caught 66 passes for 1,105 yards and six touchdowns for the Wildcats. His production took a steep decline this past season with only 24 catches for 289 yards and three touchdowns while playing in all 12 games for the Trojans. Singer has one year of eligibility remaining with the Utes.

Former Alabama redshirt freshman defensive lineman Isaiah Hastings rated as a four-star prospect coming out of the 2022 recruiting class but never found his place on the Crimson Tide depth chart. He did not see any action this past season and played in just one game as a true freshman in 2022. Hastings recorded one tackle against Louisiana-Monroe. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound prospect has three years of eligibility remaining at Syracuse under new coach Fran Brown.

When on the field, Kendy Charles was among the top defensive players on a Liberty squad that went undefeated during the regular season, won the C-USA championship and reached a New Year’s Six Bowl game in 2023. The 6-foot, 280-pound defensive tackle will spent his final year of eligibility at Duke as he makes the jump to the major FBS level. Charles played in 30 total games during the past four seasons, recording 77 tackles, including 16 for loss with nine sacks.

Mario Williams saw his production decrease during his second season at USC and looks to reach his potential at Tulane in 2024. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound junior caught 29 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns this past season. Williams is a two-time transfer that previously followed Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma prior to the 2022 campaign. In 36 career games played at the college level, Williams has 1,316 yards and 11 touchdowns on 104 receptions. He has one year of eligibility remaining with the Green Wave.

Texas continues to restock its receiving corps with former Oregon State standout Silas Bolden joining the Longhorns for 2024. The 5-foot-8, 157-pound junior finished as the second-leading receiver for the Beavers this past season, hauling in 54 passes for 746 yards and five touchdowns. Bolden also rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries. His threat as a returner on special teams is an added bonus for Texas with 40 kickoff returns totaling 1,008 yards and three punts returns for 97 yards including a 65-yard touchdown this past season. Bolden has one year of eligibility remaining.

Shawn Murphy primarily played special teams while contributing in a reserve role at linebacker on the Alabama defense this past season. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound redshirt freshman recorded just three tackles in 13 games of action during the 2023 campaign. Murphy played in five games, including the bowl game, as a true freshman in 2022 while preserving his redshirt. He now joins a growing list of transfers from Alabama en route to Florida State this cycle.

Dezz Ricks was among the slew of departures out of Tuscaloosa following the retirement of Nick Saban. The highly-touted cornerback prospect spent just one season at Alabama while playing in only two games. Ricks will have four years of eligibility remaining at Texas A&M as he joins the new-look Aggies under head coach Mike Elko. Coming out of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, Ricks ranked as the No. 39 overall prospect regardless of position in the 2023 recruiting class.

Tyler Baron is among the growing number of transfers to flip his commitment this cycle. The former Tennessee standout edge rusher was previously locked in with Ole Miss, but changed his mind and will now join Louisville for the 2024 season — barring any further decisions. Baron spent the past four seasons in Knoxville where he played in 48 games for the Volunteers. He posted 101 total tackles, including 27 for loss and 13.5 sacks, while also recording four pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.