Link: 2026 Transfer Portal

[bamamc1]

True statement, but how many players at Indiana would have gotten a sniff from us out of HS? The portal is changing the equation.

in many cases

23yr old 3* with a chip on his shoulder > 18yr old 5* with potential

gt, I had a high school coach tell me one time: “you’ve got potential. Do you know what that means? It means you haven’t done anything yet.” I made it tidefans friendly but you can guess

 

[RollTide-YNWA]

Just had to trust the process.....

Actually, we just needed you to say you were leaving the thread

 

[CB4]

Hope Russaw, Smith and Ryan Day have wonderful poly relationship the next few years. They all deserve each other..

 

[AlistarWills]

Loving the positivity around here! Bama is going to finish strong by the end of this.

Roll Tide!!!!

no they aren’t these coaches are all idiots morons and the like and have no clue on Earth as to what they are doing because they aren’t Nick Saban!!!

 

[Snuffy Smith]

no they aren’t these coaches are all idiots morons and the like and have no clue on Earth as to what they are doing because they aren’t Nick Saban!!!

 

[carder24]

There is no locking these guys in, unless they’ve signed something that is legally binding.

Maybe in the portal realm, the “bama bump” is a bad thing. It draws attention and raises the price of attaining their services.

Yeah, I think that whenever a player posts something thanking team for offer - I mean that seems blatantly the purpose given everything going on

 

[carder24]

This guy has the measurables and also played hoops

Tyler Johnson, Auburn Tigers, Offensive Tackle

Also plays basketball.

247sports.com

With our injuries this year, maybe Oats would be interested, but can he shoot the three?

 

[JergusTide]

Hope Russaw, Smith and Ryan Day have wonderful poly relationship the next few years. They all deserve each other..

It’s hard to feel anything except anger about these two. Why do two native Alabamans who are starters just up and leave and go somewhere else? The only answer can be that it’s money driven. No loyalty whatsoever. I had really hoped these two would stay.

 

[CB4]

It really is absurd where all this has gone. Recruit a kid out of high school now they want you to pay them to take a visit. Then when they commit/sign, they want to get paid again. Then on the team a year or two but rarely see the field but still earning compensation, hop in portal and, “based on potential”, start pursuing an NIL pay raise.

And many demanding to be paid again (number I’ve heard is $50k) for the privilege to have them visit your campus.

 

[carder24]

And on that case .. my last post ..

https://twitter.com/x/status/2010816241783484561

Had to re-read that a couple of times - literally from Ireland! Seeing he was kicking well over 60 yarders!?

 

[DzynKingRTR]

It really is absurd where all this all gone. Recruit a kid out of high school now they want you to pay them to take a visit. Then when they commit/sign, they want to get paid again. Then on the team a year or two but rarely see the field but still earning compensation, hop in portal and, “based on potential”, start pursuing an NIL pay raise.

And many demanding to be paid again (number I’ve heard is $50k) for the privilege to have them visit your campus.

It is like they are daring people to quit watching.

 

[gtgilbert]

It’s hard to feel anything except anger about these two. Why do two native Alabamans who are starters just up and leave and go somewhere else? The only answer can be that it’s money driven. No loyalty whatsoever. I had really hoped these two would stay.

In russaw's defense I think he was going to passed by Pierre and see his reps decrease quite a bit. Russaw was a very solid player for us, but Pierre is just better.

 

[Cruloc]

It really is absurd where all this all gone. Recruit a kid out of high school now they want you to pay them to take a visit. Then when they commit/sign, they want to get paid again. Then on the team a year or two but rarely see the field but still earning compensation, hop in portal and, “based on potential”, start pursuing an NIL pay raise.

And many demanding to be paid again (number I’ve heard is $50k) for the privilege to have them visit your campus.

How much of that is parent or agent driven?

Agent wants them to get as much money as possible because he gets a cut.

Parent that might be an agent wants their cut.

Drive the price up astronomically so the parent/agent cut goes up.

 

[Cruloc]

In russaw's defense I think he was going to passed by Pierre and see his reps decrease quite a bit. Russaw was a very solid player for us, but Pierre is just better.

And Smith was going to go wherever Russaw went.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

Does anyone realize that we are mostly swooning over players that weren't good enough to get recruited by Alabama the first time?

You mean "sleepers"?

A few on here have been saying that's who we should have been targeting all along...

 

[JergusTide]

In russaw's defense I think he was going to passed by Pierre and see his reps decrease quite a bit. Russaw was a very solid player for us, but Pierre is just better.

True, but it still affects depth. Just frustrating.

 

[Jack Bourbon]

It’s hard to feel anything except anger about these two. Why do two native Alabamans who are starters just up and leave and go somewhere else? The only answer can be that it’s money driven. No loyalty whatsoever. I had really hoped these two would stay.

Its pathetic rly

 

[gtgilbert]

True, but it still affects depth. Just frustrating.

agree, but I do think this instance is just slightly different. It's just like when Drew Sanders was starting opposite Anderson and got hurt, which opened the door for Turner. Once Turner got on the field, Sanders wasn't going to get all that time back. just like Russaw, Sanders was a very good player for us, but Turner was better (just like Pierre). Sanders transferred out so he could get a starting role, and i think that's what Russaw is trying to do. that said, I don't know that Russaw is on the same level as Sanders (who was all-american after moving to ILB at ARK) and it will end the same way, but given he only has one more year to try to get himself into the best possible draft position I can't blame him.

 

[CB4]

And Smith was going to go wherever Russaw went.

Now they can afford matching diamond crusted commitment rings. Isn’t that the sweetest thing?

 

[Slowpoke Catracho]

You mean "sleepers"?

A few on here have been saying that's who we should have been targeting all along...

I was thinking they were more like hand me downs!