College Football Playoff Quarterfinal - Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential: Alabama v Indiana
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Alabama is staring down a pivotal offseason entering the third year of coach Kalen DeBoer's tenure. Based solely on the standard set during Alabama's reign of dominance under Nick Saban, DeBoer has underdelivered thus far. 

The Crimson Tide missed out on the College Football Playoff in his first season and finished the year with a 9-4 record, Alabama's worst showing since Saban's first season in Tuscaloosa almost 20 years ago. Alabama did make the playoff in 2025, becoming the first non-conference champion with three losses to ever do so in the process, but they were quickly bounced by Indiana in a 38-3 Rose Bowl mauling. 

Alabama was outscored 100-44 in its three postseason games. That includes a 34-24 triumph against Oklahoma in the first round of the playoff. 

What's next for Alabama after embarrassing Rose Bowl loss? Worst postseason effort warrants sweeping change
John Talty
What's next for Alabama after embarrassing Rose Bowl loss? Worst postseason effort warrants sweeping change

So, though most programs nationally would give anything for what Alabama has accomplished under DeBoer, the embattled coach needed to provide some reason for optimism once the transfer portal opened on Jan. 2. It hasn't taken long for those hopes to unravel. 

Alabama did put a good foot forward by landing former NC State star Hollywood Smothers, the No. 2 running back in 247Sports' Transfer Rankings, three days after the one-time portal window commenced. Smothers would have added a much-needed jolt of energy to a historically bad Alabama rushing effort. 

Jam Miller, the Crimson Tide's leading rusher in 2025, finished the year with just 504 yards. He was the only Alabama running back to surpass 300 yards on the season. Alabama's backs combined for eight runs of 20-plus yards. 

Smothers had nine on his own while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Smothers also adds an extra dimension to the offense as a high-level pass-catching back. 

But Smothers never agreed to a contract with the Crimson Tide and, not long after he revealed his commitment publicly, he was on campus at Texas for a visit. Less than a week after Smothers initially committed to Alabama, he instead elected to sign with the Longhorns. 

On the same day, Alabama lost wide receiver target Cam Coleman, the top pass-catching option in the portal and a former thorn in Alabama's side at Auburn, to Texas. Those misses are of the highest profile, but they're just two of many transfer portal flops that have Alabama staring down a new reality: its brand isn't enough to carry it anymore. 

Transfer portal players, frankly, do not care how many national titles Alabama won with Saban calling the shots. They don't care that Alabama won the SEC all but four times from 2009 to 2023. Saban isn't there anymore and, even if he was, he'd need more than just his sterling reputation to sell the Tide. 

All that matters now is the almighty dollar. There might be a handful of players that stick it out because of their love for a program -- quarterback Ty Simpson is a good example -- but a majority of stars want to be paid. 

If you're not the biggest spender, you're not going to land them. Alabama plays in a conference of big spenders, which makes it a face in the crowd. 

Signs point to Alabama lagging behind in the name, image and likeness realm, especially in comparison to programs of its ilk. CBS Sports recently listed the Crimson Tide among the "Good, but maybe not as elite as you think" category in terms of NIL spending among playoff teams. 

Just good isn't good enough in the SEC. The inability to land, or hold on to, top-flight talent like Coleman and Smothers bears that out. As does Alabama's increasing failure to retain its own impact players. 

There's a significant talent exodus departing Tuscaloosa. Here's a look at some of the most notable Alabama players that have entered the transfer portal and where they rank, according to 247Sports: 

That's not even counting the players that Alabama is losing to the NFL, like leading wide receiver Germie Bernard and stalwart linebacker Deontae Lawson. NFL declarations are a sign of a program's health, at least. 

Alabama has lost a total of 20 transfers. As of Jan. 12, its incoming transfer class sits at six prospects. USC defensive lineman Devan Thompkins is the only one of those that ranks above a three star. 

The Crimson Tide did invest significant resources into signing an elite crop of high school recruits. Their 2026 class ranks second in the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings. Alabama inked nine top-100 players, including three five stars. 

But freshmen rarely have an immediate impact and, as the playoff has shown, most successful teams in the modern era of college football rely heavily on an injection of talent from the portal. 

Indiana, for instance, is the favorite to win the national title. Fourteen of its 22 offensive and defensive starters came to the Hoosiers via the portal. 

Efforts in the transfer portal can make or break a coach's tenure. Alabama can't rest on its own name and brand recognition anymore. If the Crimson Tide want to break back into college football's upper crust, it will have to increase its investment in that realm.