Paul Finebaum expresses confidence in Alabama's involvement in spring transfer portal window
Paul Finebaum believes Alabama isn’t done making offseason moves yet. During an appearance on “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning,” the SEC Network analyst revealed his expectations for Alabama in the transfer portal’s spring window.
“I feel pretty comfortable with what [Kalen] DeBoer is going to do in the portal,” Finebaum said. “He’s had time. This is not flying halfway across the country, trying to retain your roster. This is looking around, picking and choosing, and determining who can fit in.
“This is not a great window as has been said before. By now, most people know what they’re doing but there are opportunities in the spring window and I feel very comfortable and extremely confident that DeBoer is going to go out there and get a couple of key players.”
The spring transfer portal will officially open for underclassmen on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, and close on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. This means players have just 15 days to enter. For graduate transfers, the window is extended to May 1, 2024.
Finebaum expects DeBoer to make major moves in this short period of time. Alabama needs it. The program has lost 28 players in the transfer portal this offseason while only adding eight. The lack of significant additions has earned Alabama the No. 70 spot in On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings.
Alabama looks to make up for what it lost
Alabama didn’t lose mere role players. The team lost both former five-star prospects Caleb Downs and Julian Sayin to Ohio State. Finebaum acknowledged Alabama’s massive losses.
“The portal is critical,” Finebaum said. “It did bother me a little bit flipping around on Saturday seeing Julian Sayin and Caleb Downs in Columbus, but I think that’s understandable because those are two players that are tremendous difference-makers.”
This past season, Downs was named the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year, the SEC Freshman of the Year, and the SEC Newcomer of the Year this season. He also earned first-team All-SEC honors.
Downs became the first Alabama freshman to lead the team in tackles in program history with 107, also adding 3.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble to his stat line. Meanwhile, Sayin was the No. 1 overall quarterback prospect in the Class of 2024.
DeBoer has 15 days to make up for his losses. The 49-year-old head coach previously stated he plans on targeting defensive backs and offensive linemen in the portal.