As the 2022 college football season draws to a close, the annual staff carousel comes to life. Alabama loses several familiar faces but they are content to reload. Below is a breakdown of the roster’s current appearance. We will be adding updates throughout the year leading up to spring practice.
DEPARTURE
PLAY IN THE SENIOR BOWL
Players who have already announced their participation in the Senior Bowl (February 4) have played at least four years of college football. In order to continue their college career, they would need an NCAA waiver, a medical redshirt, or their college coach would have to agree to bring them back for a bonus super-senior season. In a sense, these young men essentially ended their college playing days by participating in this bowl. We saw PK Will Reichard withdraw from the game and opt for another year at the Capstone, but that is not expected of others.
The following Tide players still intend to move forward with plans to play in the Senior Bowl.
- DB Jordan Battle – declared for NFL on social media
- DB By Marcco Hellams
- DL DJ Dale – declared for NFL on social media
- DL Byron Young – declared for the NFL on social media
- LB Henry To’oTo’o – stated, has agent
- OL Emil Ekiyor
- OL Tyler Steen
- TE Cameron Latu
JUNIORS DECLARED FOR NFL DRAFT
The deadline for players to announce their intention to enter the 2023 NFL Draft is January 16.
- EDGE Will Anderson
- QB Bryce Young
- Branch DB Brian
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs
- CB Eli Ricks
TRANSFERRED
The people below have already entered the transfer portal and, in almost all cases, have found a new home.
- WR Aaron Anderson > LSU
- WR Christian Leary > UCF
- OL Amari Kight > UCF
- WR JoJo Earle > TCU
- OL Tommy Brockermeyer > TCU
- WR Traeshon Holden > Oregon
- DB Khyree Jackson > Oregon
- OL Javion Cohen > Miami
- OL Tanner Bowles > Kentucky
- RB Trey Sanders > TCU
- OL Damieon George > Undecided, potentially Auburn, Ole Miss
OUT OF ELIGIBILITY
These two Tide players played five full years which included the super senior bonus season. There’s no way they’ll find another season at the Capstone.
- LB Jaylen Moody
- OL Kendall Randolph
WAITING FOR
4TH YEAR PLAYER NOT EXPECTED TO RETURN
- OL Darrian Dalcourt has played four full years but he still has a super senior season as a bonus. It would be a bit of a surprise if Nick Saban used one of the 85 prized scholarships on an occasional OL starter/back-up. But again, who had expected the return of Kendall Randolph or Chris Owens?
POSSIBLE SUPER SENIOR
- WR Tyler Harrell has played four full seasons (five games this season) plus a year in a used redshirt at Louisville. He would be better served by playing one more season at the varsity ball somewhere. The real question is whether the Tide staff think he’s healed enough to be a major contributor next season.
INTERROGATION POINT
- DL Justin Eboigbe played four games in 2022 before a neck injury saw him miss the rest of the season. This last campaign could be considered a red shirt year since he never took one. Depending on how he heals, he should be back for a fifth year and also has a super senior year left if needed. Another option is to try your luck in the NFL Draft this spring. A final option is to retire from football. The severity of the injury is publicly unknown and he has been awfully quiet off his side.
POSSIBLE TRANSFERS
The transfer portal window closes in less than two weeks on January 18, meaning the time for decisions is almost up. The players below are all third-year players who haven’t played much outside of special teams. Some of them might wait until after A-Day (April 22) to make up their minds. The possibility of their departures from the team is based on pure speculation:
- WR Thaiu Jones-Bell – buried in the depth chart behind the young players.
- LB Quandarrius Robinson – mostly special teams.
- LB Demouy Kennedy – top special teams contributor before being sidelined with a knee injury.
- DB Jahquez Robinson – limited playing time in three years.
While special teams players are important, they can often be easily replaced by the next class of freshmen Tide arrives.
RETURN
With rookie players moving across the country, Alabama has the chance of not losing anyone too valuable*. It’s so confusing as to what class these guys are. Thus, they are divided by years in college.
* In my humble opinion, the departure of Javion Cohen is not such a bad thing.
A YEAR ON CAMPUS
- DB Antonio Kite
- DB Earl Little Jr.
- DB Jake Pope
- DB Tre’Quon Fegans
- DL Jaheim Oatis
- DL Khurtiss Perry
- DL Isaiah Hastings
- LB Jihad Campbell
- LB Jérémie Alexandre
- LB Shawn Murphy
- OL Tyler Booker
- OL Elijah Pritchett
- QB Ty Simpson
- RB Jamarion Miller
- TE Amari Niblack
- TE Elijah Brown
- TE Danny Lewis
- WR Isaiah Bond
- W. R. Kendrick’s Law
- WR Kobe Prentice
- WR/RB Emmanuel Henderson
- WR Shazz Preston
TWO YEARS OF COLLEGE
23. DB Terrion Arnold
24. DB Kool-Aid McKinstry
25. DB DeVonta Smith
26. DL Damon Payne
27. DL Anquin Barnes
28. DL Monkell Goodwine
29. DL Tim Keenan
30. LB Keanu Koht
31. LB Deontae Lawson
32. LB Ian Jackson
33. LB Dallas Turner
34. LB Kendrick Blackshire
35. OL James Brockermeyer
36. OL Terrence Ferguson
37. OL Jaeden Roberts
38. OL JC Latham
39. QB Jalen Milroe
40. TE Robbie Ouzts
41. TE Miles Kitselman**
42. WR Ja’ Corey Brooks
THREE YEARS OF COLLEGE
43. DB Jahquez Robinson
44. D.B. Kristian Story
45. DB Malachi Moore
46. DL Jah-Marien Latham
47. DL Jamil Burroughs
48. DL Tim Smith
49. LB Chris Braswell
50. LB Whenarrius Robinson
51. LB Demouy Kennedy
52. OL Seth McLaughlin
53. James Burnip**
54. RB Jase McClellan
55. RB Roydell Williams
56. WR Jermaine Burton
57. WR Thaiu Jones-Bell
** On the stock market or without an appointment?
TRANSFER TO
58. TE CJ Dipree (Maryland)
CLASS OF 2023
All but four of the 2023 signers are early registrants:
59. DB Desmond Ricks
60. DB Caleb Downs
61. DB Jahlil Hurley
62. DB Tony Mitchell
63. DE Keon Keeley (summer registrant)
64. BY Jaquavious Russaw
65. DE Yhonzae Pierre (registered summer)
66. BY Jordan Renaud
67. BY Hunter Osborne
68. DT James Smith
69. DT Edric Hill
70. K Conor Talty (summer enrollee)
71. LB Justin Jefferson
72. OL Kadyn Proctor
73. OL Miles McVay
74. OL Wilkin Formby
75. OL Olaus Alinen
76. OL Ryqueze McElderry
77. QB Eli Holstein
78. QB Dylan Lonergan
79. Judge RB Haynes
81. TE Ty Lockwood
82. WR Jalen Hale
83. WR Malik Benson
84. WR Cole Adams
85. WR Jaren Hamilton
86. ATH Brayson Hubbard
DRIVE CHANGES
Despite all the speculation, only safety coach Charles Kelly left the Alabama coaching staff. And hats off to him for sticking with the tide during bowl season and even recruiting for Alabama up until the early signing period. No replacement has been named at this time.
Rumors still abound for Crimson Tide OC Bill O’Brien as well as DC Peter Golding. But rumors are all until NFL Black Monday drops on Jan. 9 — the first day after the end of the regular season in which several NFL coaches are typically fired.
We will continue to update this post as different moves occur. Check back for ongoing developments.