Alabama was among the programs hit hardest during the college football winter transfer portal window with 30 total entries. Most of those moves occurred after legendary coach Nick Saban announced his retirement in January following a 17-year run with the Crimson Tide that included six national championships and seven appearances in the College Football Playoff. Alabama lost a number of starters and key reserves in the process of the portal exodus with four of those ranking among the top-six individual transfers in the 2024 cycle.

Five-stars Isaiah Bond, Caleb Downs, Kadyn Proctor and Julian Sayin headline the list of transfer departures for the Crimson Tide. Ohio State and Texas benefitted by adding a handful of former Alabama standouts, but Florida State reaped the most reward with five newcomers.

Alabama could be a big buyer during the spring transfer portal window as new head coach Kalen DeBoer and the staff look to fill holes ahead of the 2024 season.

RELATED (VIP): Returns continue to come in strong from Alabama Junior Day

Below is a look at where the top transfer portal departures from Alabama are going in 2024:

CALEB DOWNS, SAFETY

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247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 5-star | 99 rating | No. 1 overall | No. 1 S

Transfer school: Ohio State

Caleb Downs shocked most of college football when he opted to transfer to Ohio State instead of the perceived-favorite Georgia. The 6-foot, 203-pound five-star safety started in all 14 games and earned the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award. Downs totaled 107 tackles, becoming the first freshman in Crimson Tide history to lead the program in stops. He also had two interceptions, three pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

KADYN PROCTOR, OFFENSIVE TACKLE

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247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 5-star | 99 rating | No. 2 overall | No. 1 OT

Transfer school: Iowa

Kadyn Proctor returns to his home state of Iowa after just one season at Alabama. The 6-foot-7, 360-pound behemoth offensive tackle struggled at times with the Crimson Tide, giving up a team-high 12 sacks. However, the five-star lineman still oozes potential. Perhaps a move close to home and a fresh start with the Hawkeyes in 2024 can allow Proctor to reach his full potential. He earned the starting left tackle job at Alabama as a true freshman in 2023.

ISAIAH BOND, WIDE RECEIVER

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247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 5-star | 98 rating | No. 4 overall | No. 1 WR

Transfer school: Texas

Isaiah Bond is one of the fastest players in college football. That speed is welcomed in the Steve Sarkisian offense at Texas, which lost a vast majority of its top receivers from this past season. Bond was the second-leading receiver at Alabama in 2023, hauling in 48 catches for 668 yards and four touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 182-pound sophomore had one receptions for 34 yards against Texas back in Week 2.

JULIAN SAYIN, QUARTERBACK

(Photo: Brandon Huffman, 247Sports)
247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 5-star | 98 rating | No. 6 overall | No. 1 QB

Transfer school: Ohio State

Five-star quarterback Julian Sayin was enrolled at Alabama for less than two weeks before entering the transfer portal following the retirement announcement from Saban. The incoming freshman joins an already crowded quarterback room at Ohio State where he will compete for the future starting job soon. Sayin is the No. 3 passer in the 2024 high school recruiting class and top-ranked transfer quarterback. He was named the Gatorade California Player of the Year and MVP of the Elite 11 Finals ahead of his senior season.

DEZZ RICKS, CORNERBACK

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247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 4-star | 94 rating | No. 19 overall | No. 3 CB

Transfer school: Texas A&M

Dezz Ricks played in just two games during his one lone season at Alabama, but the touted cornerback prospect should see immediate action at Texas A&M under new head coach Mike Elko. Because of his minimal usage in Tuscaloosa, Ricks has four years of eligibility remaining with the Aggies. The former Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout ranked as the No. 39 overall prospect regardless of position coming out of the 2023 recruiting class.

AMARI NIBLACK, TIGHT END

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247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 4-star | 93 rating | No. 28 overall | No. 1 TE

Transfer school: Texas

The on-field production of the Texas offense under former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian made the Longhorns an attractive choice for departing Crimson Tide members. Top-ranked transfer tight end Amari Niblack is among that list of players on the move to Texas after a breakout season with Alabama in 2023. The 6-foot-4, 233-pound pass-catcher had 20 receptions for 327 yards and four touchdowns across 14 games. Niblack still has two years of eligibility remaining.

JA’COREY BROOKS, WIDE RECEIVER

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247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 4-star | 91 rating | No. 67 overall | No. 13 WR

Transfer school: Louisville

After making significant contributions as a receiver at Alabama in 2022, Ja’Corey Brooks had a major dip in production as a sophomore in 2023, missing almost half the season due to injury. The 6-foot-2, 196-pound wideout played in eight games and caught just three passes for 30 yards. Brooks did have a blocked punt against Ole Miss this season. With two years of eligibility remaining, Brooks could again see his production rise at Louisville and the offense directed by Jeff Brohm.

SHAWN MURPHY, LINEBACKER

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247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 4-star | 91 rating | No. 78 overall | No. 5 LB

Transfer school: Florida State

Florida State cleaned up a lot of the top transfer portal departures from Alabama. Backup linebacker Shawn Murphy leads that list and has three years of eligibility remaining with the Seminoles. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound redshirt freshman played in 13 games and made three tackles while primarily seeing action on special teams. Murphy played in five games, including the bowl game, as a true freshman in 2022.

TREY AMOS, CORNERBACK

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247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 4-star | 91 rating | No. 80 overall | No. 9 CB

Transfer school: Ole Miss

Ole Miss still owns the top-ranked transfer portal haul for the 2024 cycle with Trey Amos rating among the best additions. The 6-foot-1, 197-pound cornerback played in all 14 games at Alabama this season. He made one start. Amos recorded 12 total tackles and five pass breakups in the secondary. The veteran defensive back transferred to Alabama after spending the first three years of his college career at Louisiana-Lafayette. He has one year of eligibility remaining with the Rebels.

ROYDELL WILLIAMS, RUNNING BACK

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247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 5-star | 91 rating | No. 87 overall | No. 7 RB

Transfer school: Florida State

Even while splitting carries in the Alabama backfield, Roydell Williams still produced strong numbers during the 2023 season. The 5-foot-11, 214-pound running back had career-highs in attempts (111), yards (560) and touchdowns (5) for the Crimson Tide during a run to the College Football Playoff. His best single-game performance came against South Florida in Week 3 when he rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Williams has one year of eligibility remaining at Florida State.

MALIK BENSON, WIDE RECEIVER

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247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 4-star | 91 rating | No. 88 overall | No. 19 WR

Transfer school: Florida State

Malik Benson caught 13 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown during his lone season at Alabama. The former Hutchinson Community College standout previously ranked as the No. 1 JUCO prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and joined the Crimson Tide in 2023. Before that, he hauled in 97 passes for 2,152 yards and 21 touchdowns in two seasons. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound wideout has one year of eligibility remaining at Florida State where he seeks a greater role.

JAMEER GRIMSLEY, CORNERBACK

(Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports)
247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 4-star | 91 rating | No. 90 overall | No. 10 CB

Transfer school: Florida

Jameer Grimsley was also enrolled for just a short period of time before leaving Alabama via the transfer portal. The four-star incoming freshman was part of the 2024 recruiting class for the Crimson Tide, but will spend his first season of college football at Florida. A native of the Sunshine State, Grimsley was a two-way contributor at Tampa (Fla.) Catholic this season. He saw action in only three games, making 19 total tackles on defense and three receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown on offense.

SETH MCLAUGHLIN, INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINE

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247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 4-star | 90 rating | No. 91 overall | No. 2 IOL

Transfer school: Ohio State

Seth McLaughlin served as the starting center for a total of 25 games during the past three seasons at Alabama. The 6-foot-4, 301-pound lineman played 1,834 snaps, including 975 pass-blocking opportunities. He allowed just one sack. McLaughlin ranks as one of the best interior offensive lineman in the 2024 transfer portal cycle and expects to make a significant contribution up front at Ohio State in 2024 for an offense that could be run-heavy.

EARL LITTLE II, CORNERBACK

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247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 4-star | 90 rating | No. 144 overall | No. 15 CB

Transfer school: Florida State

Earl Little II played in eight games before suffering a season-ending injury at Alabama in 2023. The 6-foot-1, 186-pound transfer cornerback has three years of eligibility remaining at Florida State. Little also missed half of the 2022 season due to injury before returning to play in three games. He made two tackles during his time with the Crimson Tide. The Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage prospect returns to his home state looking to help guide the Seminoles to back-to-back ACC titles in 2024.

TERRENCE FERGUSON, INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINE

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247Sports Transfer Portal rank: 4-star | 90 rating | No. 147 overall | No. 4 IOL

Transfer school: Florida State

Florida State also strengthened its offensive line depth with the transfer addition of Terrence Ferguson from Alabama. The 6-foot-4, 322-pound interior lineman played in five games this season, totaling 116 snaps for the Crimson Tide. He did not allow a sack in 50 pass-blocking opportunities. Ferguson rated as one of the top interior offensive lineman coming out of the 2021 recruiting class, but never had a significant role at Alabama. He appeared in 11 games in three seasons.