The Script A puts on its pants like the rest of college football — one leg at a time, while the transfer portal threatens to strip it bare.
Removed of the protection its generational coach provided, Alabama isn’t immune to its roster being sucked into the portal and the program emerging in a reduced state.
Talented Tide players are marching out the door before Kalen DeBoer even has had time to learn the words to “Dixieland Delight” or familiarize himself with the menu at Chuck’s Fish. A few ballyhooed recruits decommitted, too.
These defections — standout safety Caleb Downs, chief among them — are an undeniable blow in the run up to DeBoer’s inaugural season in the SEC, but they also don’t surprise me.
“It’s part of it. It’s reality,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said Wednesday of the roster losses during an appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show.”
An unpleasant reality, but reality nonetheless.
The portal becomes a siren’s call amid a coaching transition, whether that previous coach retired, was fired or changed jobs. Alabama isn’t unique.
Consider what happened at Oklahoma, another blue-blood program rich with tradition. In the first 14 months after Lincoln Riley fled town, about 30 Sooners transferred. Florida’s turnstiles witnessed a flurry of comings and goings throughout Billy Napier’s first two seasons.
It’s fair to wonder how DeBoer will fare in the SEC’s shark-infested waters, but I don’t view this ongoing exodus as a reflection of his recruiting chops or relationship skills. Rather, this roster turnover reflects college football in 2024. No sooner had DeBoer finished his introductory remarks as Alabama’s coach than wide receiver Isaiah Bond transferred to Texas.
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Fans cheer for their alma mater, a logo, a brand and a mascot that makes them feel a certain type of way. Players sometimes share in these feelings, but you’re much more likely to find loyalty in the stands than on the field or on the sideline.
On the whole, players compete for coaches with whom they developed good relationships. And NIL deals tilt the scales.
Transfers offer an elixir for first-year coaches who inherit bleak rosters. In the old days (by which I mean before 2021), a coach who stepped into a bad situation would require a few years to have a chance at remaking the roster in a positive direction by signing and developing recruits. Now, coaches in such situations can fast-track a turnaround by stockpiling transfers.
On the other hand, coaches who inherit a well-stocked roster have it more difficult now. Rival programs stand ready to raid the cupboard. Kirby Smart and Hugh Freeze had to rank among the happiest men in America after the news of Saban’s retirement — not because they couldn’t win a coaching chess match against Saban, but because this transition opens access to talented players who otherwise would have played for Saban.
The timing of Saban’s retirement did his heir no favors. Any coach would prefer to be in place at his new school about six weeks sooner than Alabama hired DeBoer. As it is, he will be limited in his ability to combat these departures with helpful arrivals, because the best transfers from other programs were acquired around the holidays.
Kalen DeBoer: Alabama football coach speaks at Coleman Coliseum
Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer speaks to Alabama basketball fans at Coleman Coliseum during the Missouri game.
The portal is closed to new entries until April 15 except for programs like Alabama that are experiencing a coaching transition. The portal will remain open to Alabama players into February. DeBoer must white-knuckle it the whole way while he tries to build relationships at warp speed, complete his coaching staff and make headway on next year’s recruiting class.
While DeBoer faces headwinds, he knows better than to expect patience from a fan base spoiled by inimitable excellence. He never mentioned the “p-word” during his introductory news conference. That’s for the best. If he wanted patience, he came to the wrong place.
Alabama will continue to demand excellence, even as the portal siphons off DeBoer’s trump cards.
The Script A is no match for the portal’s power.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s SEC Columnist. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
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2024-01-20 00:33:03
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