Justice Haynes, the former Alabama Crimson Tide running back and top talent in the transfer portal, has quickly become one of the most coveted prospects for 2025. The sophomore was third on the Crimson Tide in rushing this season, recording 448 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging an impressive 5.7 yards per carry — outpacing teammates Jam Miller (4.7) and quarterback Jalen Milroe (4.17).
By leaving Tuscaloosa, Haynes becomes one of the most prized running backs in the 2025 transfer portal and may very well create a recruiting battle between some of the top SEC programs as well as Big Ten foes Ohio State and Michigan.
Where Could Justice Haynes Transfer?
Haynes capped his 2024 campaign with a standout performance, rushing for 102 yards on just four carries against Mercer. A dynamic playmaker with vision and explosiveness, Haynes offers the kind of game-changing ability that programs across the country are eager to secure.
Though he continued to show promise and ability at Alabama, he was never the feature back during his two-year stint in Tuscaloosa.
During his freshman campaign in 2023, Haynes was featured in 13 games but only received 25 total carries, resulting in 168 yards and two touchdowns. But his ability was evident as he averaged a staggering 6.7 yards per carry.
Those flashes of brilliance continued into his sophomore campaign, but now Haynes wants to be the lone feature back on a contender. As the transfer portal buzzes, the next chapter in Haynes’ promising career remains one of the offseason’s most compelling stories.
Ole Miss Rebels
The Ole Miss Rebels enter 2025 with a strong foundation in the backfield, led by four-star signee Shekai Mills-Knight and returning standout Logan Diggs. However, the departures of Henry Parrish Jr. and Ulysses Bentley IV leave room for reinforcements.
Lane Kiffin’s staff has built one of the nation’s top transfer classes, though a running back addition remains absent. Reports suggest Haynes, one of the portal’s most coveted ball carriers, will visit Oxford this week following Ahmad Hardy’s recent trip from Louisiana-Monroe.
You can count on Kiffin to land one of these two backs, as he will pursue Haynes as seriously as anyone in the nation. The Rebels are poised to bolster their ground game as they aim to maintain offensive dominance in the SEC and punch their ticket to next year’s College Football Playoff.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes’ path to the College Football Playoff this year features a first-round clash with Tennessee. However, the Buckeyes’ future backfield looms as a question mark.
With Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson likely bound for the NFL, Ohio State faces a significant void in its RB room heading into next season. Adding intrigue is the coaching shuffle between Columbus and Ann Arbor.
Running backs coach Tony Alford left Ohio State for Michigan in 2024, while Carlos Locklyn joined the Buckeyes from Oregon. Was Alford the reason for Ohio State’s success in the transfer portal for marquee ball carriers? Could Haynes be the next portal gem for Ryan Day’s program, continuing their success with transfer running backs? Or might their hated and bitter rival swoop in with a familiar face?
Michigan Wolverines
The running back situation isn’t unique to Columbus. The Michigan Wolverines must also address its room as Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards are expected to depart.
However, as mentioned, Michigan running backs are now led by Alford. Could he be the difference in luring a top-tier running back from the SEC, such as Haynes?
Alford played a significant role in getting Judkins to transfer from Ole Miss to Ohio State in the 2024 transfer portal. Perhaps he can lure Haynes away from Ohio State and bring him to Ann Arbor in 2025.
South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks came on strong in 2024 and had an excellent regular season. In 2025, they’re looking to leap into the College Football Playoff.
During the 2024 portal cycle, the Gamecocks reshaped their backfield with an emphasis on ball carriers, welcoming Arkansas standout Raheim Sanders, South Carolina State’s Jawarn Howell, and North Texas transfer Oscar Adaway III. Sanders delivered a season to remember, rushing for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns, but with his sights now set on the NFL, a void is left in his wake.
Returning in 2025 are Adaway, Howell, and promising redshirt freshmen Matthew Fuller and Neil Savage III. Still, the Gamecocks find themselves searching for a dynamic playmaker, and Haynes — well-known to South Carolina from his 2023 recruitment — has emerged as a potential answer.
With quarterback LaNorris Sellers poised to return after a standout season, leading one of the SEC’s most balanced offenses, Haynes could become the centerpiece of South Carolina’s ground game.
The pieces are there — veteran leadership on the offensive line, a rising star under center, and the chance to land a transformative back in Haynes. The door is open for something special in Columbia.
Tennessee Volunteers
Josh Heupel has guided the Tennessee Volunteers to the 2025 College Football Playoff, but his work is far from over. As the Volunteers prepare for a marquee showdown with Ohio State this weekend, another pressing challenge looms: the uncertain future of their RB room.
Dylan Sampson has been nothing short of extraordinary this season, a steady force in a relentless SEC campaign. But with the NFL Draft calling, his departure feels inevitable.
Behind him, the Volunteers have a collection of young talent — DeSean Bishop, Khalifa Keith, Peyton Lewis, and Cameron Seldon. Promising, yes. Proven? Not yet.
None have carried the weight Sampson shouldered so effortlessly. And so, even as Tennessee eyes a national title, Heupel and his staff work tirelessly, searching the portal, ensuring the Vols remain at the pinnacle.
With other SEC powers in the hunt for Haynes, it seems likely that Tennessee also throws its hat in the mix trying to lure the Alabama transfer.
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