After legendary head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement last week, the number of transfer portal departures from Alabama is getting close to thirty. Due to the Crimson Tide’s mass departure, double digits of blue-chip recruits are looking for new opportunities in college football. A number of individuals, like highly anticipated cornerback Dezz Ricks, who is transferring to Texas A&M, promptly found their respective landing spots.
With their new additions, the Aggies jumped to the top of the transfer portal rankings for the 2024 cycle. The departure of Jimbo Fisher and the subsequent hire of Mike Elko resulted in the loss of over a dozen players to the portal, but the new College Station staff has already begun assembling a strong squad for the upcoming campaign.
Due to Nick Saban’s departure, college football has seen a wave of coaching changes, with three former Alabama players ranking among the top-five best-available prospects on the transfer portal.
For one of the greatest available defensive backs in the transfer portal, Miami defeated in-state rival Florida. Retired Washington safety Mishael Powell, who assisted the Huskies in finishing second in the College Football Playoff, will play his senior year with the Hurricanes. In the secondary this season, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound player has 38 total tackles, three interceptions (one of which was returned for a score), and three pass breakups.
Throughout his three years at Alabama, Kendrick Blackshire was a backup. The 233-pound, 6-foot-2 linebacker participated in 24 games overall. This past season, Blackshire racked up a career-high 16 total tackles, including one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He will now spend his final season of eligibility with the Longhorns in his native Texas, where he will also be vying for a bigger defensive role.
Dorian Singer played just one season for USC in 2023 after being selected to the All-Pac-12 First Team at Arizona the year before. The 6-foot, 180-pound wide receiver is back on the move and plans to play for Utah in 2024. In 2022, Singer had a standout season for the Wildcats, catching 66 catches for 1,105 yards and six touchdowns. Despite playing in all 12 games for the Trojans last season, his output drastically decreased, with just 24 receptions for 289 yards and three touchdowns. Singer is still eligible to play for the Utes for one more year.
