Transfer Portal Wishlist: 5 Players Alabama should try to land
With the 2022 regular season in the books and bowl games in full effect, players from various all across the country are entering the transfer portal to find a new home for the 2023 season.
Nick Saban has utilized the transfer portal for a few years, and nearly every transfer he’s brought in found immediate success and thrived.
Offensive lineman Landon Dickerson transferred in from FSU, Jameson Williams from Ohio State, Jahmyr Gibbs from Georgia Tech. The list goes on and on, but you get the point.
The Crimson Tide’s 2022 season didn’t meet expectations. Though Alabama already has the top-rated 2023 recruiting class, why not look to the transfer portal for some additional help?
Here are five players we think Saban should have on his wishlist.
Fentrell Cypress (CB)
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Fentrell Cypress joined Virginia as a four-star cornerback prospect in the 2019 recruiting class. He wasn’t heavily recruited outside of the ACC and east coast programs. In two years of playing (2021, 2022), Cypress amassed 56 tackles, one interception, 14 passes defended and one fumble recovery. Alabama’s cornerbacks in 2022 were Kool-Aid McKinstry and Eli Ricks. Cypress could potentially compete with those two for a starting spot or attempt to take over an opening if Ricks decides to enter the 2023 NFL draft.
Hudson Card (QB)
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Hudson Card may sound like a familiar name to Crimson Tide fans. Well, that might be because Card played most of the game against Alabama in the 2022 Week 2 matchup in Austin, Texas, when Quinn Ewers went down. In that game, Card went 14/22 and 158 yards. The stat line isn’t going to make headlines, but he kept the Longhorns in the game. Through 12 games in 2022, Card had a completion percentage of 69.2%, had 928 yards, six touchdowns and only one interception.
This may sound like a wild idea considering Alabama’s QB room will be full in 2023 with the likes of Jalen Milroe, Eli Holstein, Dylan Lonergan and Ty Simpson. However, the position is one fans are concerned about once Bryce Young leaves. Card offers experience in major atmosphere’s. There’s also the fact that Alabama extended an official scholarship offer to Card in April of 2018.
Ja'Had Carter (S)
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Ja’Had Carter has played three seasons in Syracuse and wasn’t heavily recruited coming out of high school as a three-star prospect. However, he has managed to put up impressive stats and will likely land at a contender. Alabama will likely have a need for Carter once Crimson Tide players announce who will be declaring for the 2023 NFL draft.
Through three seasons, Carter has posted 136 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, seven passes defended, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one defensive touchdown.
Dont'e Thronton (WR)
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Dont’e Thornton joined Oregon as a four-star member of the 2021 recruiting class. He held offers from numerous prominent programs but did not receive interest from the Crimson Tide. If there’s one thing Alabama lacked in 2022, it was consistent receiver play. Thornton is an interesting receiver. His stats are far from typical.
In two years, he has only 26 receptions but stretched that into 541 yards for an average of almost 21 yards per catch. He also added on three touchdowns.
Braden Fiske (DL)
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Braden Fiske may not be a name all too familiar to Alabama fans unless they’ve watched their fair share of Western Michigan football. Fiske was a three-star offensive guard prospect before being moved to defensive line. Through four seasons at Western Michigan, he’s totaled 148 tackles, 27 TFLs, 13.5 sacks, three passes defended, three forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered.
After a full college career, Fiske may want to go to a program that will put him within view of NFL scouts eyes. Which better program to do that than the one that just broke a record for having the most former players play in the NFL? He is receiving serious interest from other programs and recently took a visit to Florida State.
