What Alabama football actually lost and gained in transfer portal at defensive back
When Nick Saban retired in January, a cohort of Alabama football players not only lost their head coach but also effectively their position coach.
The defensive backs not only played under Saban as the program’s CEO but also regarded him as their unofficial position coach. Even prior to his numerous national championships, Saban served as a defensive backs coach. Throughout his entire 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa, he continued to actively engage with the secondary during practices, alongside the secondary coaches on Alabama’s staff.
Therefore, it’s unsurprising that this position group experienced more flux than most following the transition from Saban to Kalen DeBoer.
Despite a significant exodus in the secondary, what was the actual impact in terms of productivity and experience lost by the Crimson Tide? Here’s an in-depth analysis of the numbers concerning the 10 departures and the five additions, utilizing data from the 2023 season sourced from ESPN and Pro Football Focus.
Alabama witnessed the departure of 10 defensive backs after the 2023 season. Among them, Peyton Woodyard and Jameer Grimsley were set to be freshmen in the upcoming fall and hadn’t yet played college football, although they had committed to the Crimson Tide. Caleb Downs, who entered the transfer portal following Saban’s retirement, was the most notable departure. Other notable names included Trey Amos and Kristian Story.
On the flip side, Alabama bolstered its defensive backs corps by adding five players from the transfer portal since the conclusion of the 2023 season: Domani Jackson (USC), Keon Sabb (Michigan), Kam Howard (Charlotte), DaShawn Jones (Wake Forest), and King Mack (Penn State). Notably, Jackson had committed to Alabama while Saban was still the coach.
Despite twice as many departures as additions, the Crimson Tide experienced a net increase in starting experience from the previous season. The 10 departing players collectively accumulated 17 starts (an average of 1.7 starts per player), with Downs accounting for 14 of those. Conversely, the new arrivals boasted a combined 29 starts, averaging 5.8 starts per player. Jackson (11) and Jones (10) contributed 21 of those starts.
Additionally, Alabama saw a net gain in defensive snaps, with the departing players amassing a total of 1,485 snaps on defense. In contrast, the additions accumulated a combined 2,020 snaps on defense in 2023. This equates to an average of 404 snaps per added player compared to 148.6 snaps per departing player. The average number of special teams snaps also increased, rising from 51.3 snaps per departure to 78.6 snaps per addition.
Regarding coverage performance, only four of the 10 departing players faced targets, according to PFF. These players were Downs, Amos, Story, and Grimsley.
