Alabama’s Top 5 Transfer Additions for 2026 Reload

Kalen DeBoer entered the offseason under pressure after Alabama’s Rose Bowl loss to Indiana ended the 2025 campaign. The transfer portal opened soon after, and what looked like a recruiting problem quickly turned into a roster overhaul as Alabama added 16 transfers for 2026.

These additions helped Alabama rebuild key position groups and set the program up to chase championships again. Here are the five most impactful pickups heading into DeBoer’s second season in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama’s defensive line needed emergency help after Tim Keenan III and LT Overton declared for the NFL Draft and James Smith entered the portal. USC transfer Devan Thompkins became the first major answer when he committed on January 6 after visiting Tuscaloosa and canceling scheduled trips to Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, and Ohio State.

Thompkins is 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, and he entered the portal as the No. 3-ranked defensive lineman. He had a breakout year with USC in 2025, posting 31 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks while starting all 12 games, and finished his Trojans career with 56 total tackles, nine TFLs, 4.5 sacks, and five pass breakups.

Oregon transfer Terrance Green gave Alabama another big piece up front when he committed on January 17. Green is listed at 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds, has two years of eligibility remaining, and ranked as the No. 4 defensive lineman in the portal.

Green played 269 snaps in 2025 and finished with 15 tackles, one tackle for loss, and a pass deflection. His arrival gives Alabama another interior option next to London Simmons and Edric Hill after the defensive line struggled at times in 2025.

The Crimson Tide also needed help on the offensive line, and Ty Haywood checked that box in January. Haywood originally committed to Alabama in July 2024, decommitted in January 2025, signed with Michigan in February, and then entered the portal after playing just three games and 15 snaps as a true freshman.

Haywood was a four-star recruit in the 2025 class, ranked No. 39 overall and No. 6 among offensive tackles, and he brings three years of eligibility and a high developmental ceiling. Alabama believes he can grow into a future All-SEC performer with more snaps and coaching.

Alabama also hit the portal for wide receiver depth after several departures left Ryan Williams and Lotzeir Brooks as the only proven targets. Former NC State receiver Noah Rogers committed on January 12, bringing a 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame and two years of eligibility to the room.

Rogers caught 68 passes for 919 yards and three touchdowns across two seasons with the Wolfpack. He posted 33 catches for 441 yards and two touchdowns in 2025 while playing 532 snaps in all 13 games.

The final major addition came on January 17 when former Texas lineman Nick Brooks committed during his visit to Tuscaloosa. Brooks is 6-foot-7 and 349 pounds, brings three years of eligibility, and was once committed to Iowa before visiting Texas, Georgia, and USC.

Brooks started three games as a true freshman in 2025, all against SEC teams (Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Mississippi State). He also played against Florida and Sam Houston and logged 225 snaps while lining up mostly at left guard, despite entering Texas as a tackle prospect.

From the trenches to the perimeter, Alabama patched its biggest needs through the portal. DeBoer needed an aggressive offseason, and these five transfers show how serious the Crimson Tide are about competing for a championship again in 2026.

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