Alabama Backup OL to Enter Transfer Portal

Olaus Alinen appeared in every game for the Crimson Tide this season.

Oct 18, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Olaus Alinen (73) looks on during warm ups before the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. | David Leong-Imagn Images

With Alabama's 2025 season ending on Thursday, and the transfer portal opening on Friday, there has already been a flurry of roster activity for the Crimson Tide.

Redshirt sophomore offensive linemen Olaus Alinen became the eighth overall player and sixth since the season ended to announce his intentions to enter the transfer portal. Alinen tweeted, "God's plan," Friday evening.

God’s plan. https://t.co/SFSMViYXSv

— Olaus Alinen (@alinen_olaus) January 2, 2026

Alinen appeared in all 15 games for the Crimson Tide, mainly on special teams. However, he did play 44 offensive snaps according to Pro Football Focus, 21 of those came at left tackle, including a season-high at the position against Eastern Illinois. He also played three snaps at left guard, 17 snaps at right guard and was used as an extra blocker on jumbo formations on three snaps.

Overall, Alinen played in 32 games over his three seasons with the Crimson Tide. He was officially listed as the backup right guard on Alabama's depth chart in 2025. Alinen had a close relationship off the field with fellow offensive lineman Wilkin Formby.

The 6-6, 332-pound offensive linemen was Alabama's first ever prospect from Finland. He played two years of high school football at The Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut and was the consensus top player from the state in the 2023 class. He committed to Nick Saban and chose Alabama over Georgia, Miami, Ohio State and Oregon. Alinen stayed at Alabama for two seasons under head coach Kalen DeBoer.

He joins wide receivers Aeryn Hampton, Jaylen Mbakwe and Jalen Hale, defensive back Kameron Howard, running back Richard Young and fellow offensive linemen Roq Montgomery and Joseph Ionata as Crimson Tide players in the transfer portal. Ionata and Alinen both took snaps at center, which could point to Parker Brailsford returning to Alabama next season.

Alabama Football Transfer Portal Tracker: Players Coming and Going This Winter

Alinen will have two years of eligibility remaining at his future school.

Alabama finished the 2025 season with an 11-4 record and was eliminated by No. 1 Indiana in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl with a 38-3 loss. DeBoer talked briefly after the loss about building the roster for next season.

"You've got to go back to starting over from scratch with putting the people around you, the right people, committing to something, a common goal together and the actions following it," DeBoer said.