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Breaking Down Alabama's Transfer Announcements And What They Mean Moving Forward

A look at the five Alabama scholarship players who entered their names in the NCAA transfer portal Tuesday and how the Crimson Tide can replace them.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It was a busy first day of the offseason for Alabama as it saw five scholarship players enter their names in the NCAA transfer portal Tuesday afternoon. Quarterback Paul Tyson, tight end Jahleel Billingsley, offensive lineman Tommy Brown and linebackers Drew Sanders and King Mwikuta all appear to be moving on to new programs while other Crimson Tide players are expected to enter the portal in the coming days.

Here’s a look at each of the Alabama players who entered the transfer portal Tuesday and what their possible departure would mean for the Tide.

Paul Tyson, redshirt sophomore, quarterback

2021 stats: 12 games; 62.5 completion percentage (10 of 16); 150 passing yards; 0 passing TDs; 0 INTs; 141.25 passer rating

The situation: Paul Tyson joined Alabama as a member of its 2019 class after throwing for more than 6,500 yards and 69 touchdowns with only 13 interceptions in his 24 games as a starter at Hewitt-Trussville High School. The great-grandson of legendary head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant hasn’t received much playing time since arriving in Tuscaloosa as he’s been buried behind a series of skilled passers including current NFL starters Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones as well as reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young.

The writing was on the wall for Tyson last season as he was passed up by Young for the backup role behind Mac Jones. Along with Young returning for his junior year next season, Tyson runs the risk of falling behind rising sophomore Jalen Milroe as well as five-star signee Ty Simpson moving forward.

Despite failing to break out for Alabama, Tyson is still an attractive option for programs looking for a quarterback. The 6-foot-5, 228-pound pocket passer has a strong arm and still has three years of eligibility remaining.

Possible replacement: Alabama has plenty of talent in its quarterback room at the moment. Young will lead the Tide for one more season before making way for the NFL. From there, Milroe and Simpson appear set to battle it out for the starting job in 2023. Alabama won’t stop looking to bring in elite talent at the position either and is a contender for Arch Manning, the top player in the 2023 class.

Jahleel Billingsley, junior, tight end

2021 stats: 15 games; 17 receptions; 256 yards; 3 TDs; 1 KO return for 17 yards

The situation: This was supposed to be Jahleel Billingsley’s breakout year after the playmaking tight end showed plenty of promise last season. However, he failed to live up to those expectations during a puzzling junior campaign that saw him record multiple receptions in just one of his final eight games.

This season, Billingsley made more headlines for his time in Nick Saban’s doghouse than he did on the field. The head coach challenged the tight end multiple times during fall camp, calling for him to show more of a sense of urgency in practice. Billingsley never seemed to work past those issues and saw his role on offense diminish from last year.

Still, the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder should receive plenty of interest from other teams who will look for better luck at getting him to tap into his elite potential.

Possible replacement: Remember this name moving forward: Amari NiBlack. The four-star tight end signee isn’t the highest-rated member of this year’s signing class but could end up being one of Alabama’s biggest impact freshmen next season. Listed at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, NiBlack offers the same type of athleticism Billingsley brought to the position. Depending on how quickly he catches on this offseason, he could be in line for a starting role come the fall.

Tommy Brown, redshirt junior, offensive lineman

2021 stats: 10 games; 74.9 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus; 73.5 run-blocking grade from PFF; 1 sack allowed over 32 pass-blocking snaps.

The situation: Tommy Brown worked primarily on Alabama’s second-team unit while starting one game at right guard this season. The 6-foot-7, 320-pounder has spent time at every position on the line except for center during his four years with the Tide but could never break into the starting unit on a consistent basis.

Possible replacement: Alabama will likely lose its two starting tackles from this season as Evan Neal is expected to enter the NFL Draft while Chris Owens has exhausted all of his eligibility. Five-star rising sophomore JC Latham could take one of those roles while rising redshirt junior Amari Kight and rising junior Damion George Jr. are also strong candidates. Other players to keep an eye on are five-star rising sophomore Tommy Brockermeyer as well as four-star signee Tyler Booker.

Drew Sanders, sophomore, outside linebacker

2021 stats: 12 games; 24 tackles; 2.5 tackles for a loss; 1.0 sacks; 4 quarterback hurries; 2 pass breakups

The situation: Out of Tuesday’s five transfer announcements, this one stung the most for the Tide. Drew Sanders displayed plenty of potential this season, filling in nicely for Sam linebacker Christopher Allen after the starter suffered a season-ending foot injury in the opener against Miami. However, Sanders suffered a wrist injury that caused him to miss three games, ultimately resulting in him losing his starting role to five-star freshman Dallas Turner.

Next season, Turner should be in line to retain his starting job across from Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner Will Anderson Jr., leaving Sanders on the outside looking in. While Alabama could still use Sanders for depth on defense, the former five-star recruit will likely find better opportunities for playing time somewhere else.

Possible replacement: Alabama will have no shortage of pass-rushing talent, even if Sanders elects to depart the program. Along with Anderson and Turner, the Tide is set to return five-star rising junior Chris Braswell. Alabama also signed the top edge rusher in this year’s class in five-star talent Jeremiah Alexander.

King Mwikuta, junior, outside linebacker

2021 stats: 14 games; 1 tackle; 1 tackle for a loss; 1 punt return for a TD

The situation: King Mwikuta played in just seven defensive snaps this season while spending the majority of his time on special teams. The highlight of his year came when he fell on a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown during Alabama’s loss to Texas A&M.

A former four-star recruit, Mwikuta never managed to break into Alabama’s first-team defense during his three seasons with the Tide. However, the 6-foot-5, 238-pound outside linebacker should be athletic enough to shine at a smaller program.

Who will replace him: As is the case with Sanders, Alabama has plenty of options when it comes to pass rushers.