2024 is a year of transition for the Alabama Crimson Tide after the retirement of Nick Saban and the hiring of Kalen DeBoer. The new head coach led Washington to the National Championship Game in 2023 and looks to go one step further this fall.
However, there have been multiple transfers in and out of the program over the winter. Which returning prospects will have the biggest impact in 2024?
Alabama Crimson Tide Top 10 Returners in 2024
Analyzing the returning players at every school is difficult in the transfer portal area. As such, we’ve included transfer-portal athletes on each team’s roster page to open spring camp in addition to the rostered players from the 2023 campaign.
10) Tyler Booker, OL
Tyler Booker was a linchpin at left guard for the Crimson Tide in 2023, starting 12 games and only missing one — against USF due to back spasms. The left guard will be counted upon again as the Alabama offensive line is shaken up in 2024.
A five-star recruit and a top 10 player in the 2022 class out of IMG Academy, Booker has always been expected to hit the heights he achieved in 2023. After only allowing 2.5 sacks on 676 snaps, Booker will need to be as solid again this fall.
9) Keon Sabb, S
Keon Sabb transfers to Tuscaloosa as a crucial transfer portal signing from Michigan. The former national championship winner played 14 games for the Wolverines in 2023, registering 28 tackles and two interceptions, but opted to transfer to achieve more playing time.
Still developing and ascending, Sabb will be an instant starter for Alabama, and his six tackles and two pass deflections in the national championship game shows he is made for the big occasion.
8) LT Overton, DL
LT Overton is another big-time transfer portal addition for the Crimson Tide after playing at Texas A&M for two seasons, where he racked up 48 total tackles. The defensive lineman’s production dropped in 2023 as he looks to kick his career on.
The versatile Alabama newcomer is more impactful through the interior but has flexed out to the edge when needed. The five-star recruit from Milton High School — where he was a two-sport athlete — has an opportunity to boost his career in Tuscaloosa.
7) Domani Jackson, CB
Another Crimson Tide transfer portal addition, Domani Jackson has a route to starting immediately in the Alabama secondary, with Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft.
At USC, Jackson had 33 tackles and three passes deflected in 2023 as the five-star recruit from the 2021 class had his best season to date. With a clear path to success with the Crimson Tide, the defensive back can be the next dominant cornerback out of Alabama.
6) Justice Haynes, RB
Justice Haynes will be the top Alabama running back in 2024 after Jase McClellan declared for the NFL Draft and Roydell Williams entered the transfer portal. The RB had just 25 rushing attempts for 168 yards and two touchdowns in 2023 but figures for a much more significant role this fall.
MORE: 2024 Alabama Crimson Tide Football Roster
The former five-star RB enters his sophomore season in Tuscaloosa and can take on a similar role to Dillon Johnson in DeBoer’s offense.
5) Parker Brailsford, OL
Parker Brailsford follows DeBoer over from the Huskies, having been a mainstay at center. A CFN 2023 Freshman First Team All-American, Brailsford played 15 games last year, with time at multiple positions, and was a part of the offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award.
Now in Tuscaloosa, Brailsford will be the starting center for the Tide in 2024 as he translates his talents to the SEC. The sophomore from Mesa, Arizona, will be essential to unlocking the potential of Alabama’s new-look offensive line.
4) Jaheim Oatis, DL
Jaheim Oatis needed to cut serious weight when he enrolled in 2022 after playing at close to 400 pounds in high school. After a promising year in 2022, having shed almost 80 pounds, the defensive lineman only started three games in 2023 due to a season-ending injury. He had 26 total tackles in three starts before then.
With Oatis, LT Overton, and 2023 breakout star Tim Keenan, the Alabama defensive line looks full of strength and power heading into 2024. With the potential to play some defensive end in the fall, the junior defensive lineman could be set for a breakout year.
3) Malachi Moore, DB
Many expected Malachi Moore to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft. Instead, the exciting defensive back returns for his final year of eligibility. A team captain in 2023, he started 13 games and had his most productive year.
Last year alone, Moore had 52 total tackles, five for a loss, one interception, and five passes deflected. Additionally, he has been highly consistent through his four years as a starter and has played more than 12 games every season since he was a freshman.
2) Deontae Lawson, LB
Deonte Lawson was outstanding as the middle linebacker for Alabama in 2023, starting 11 games. After redshirting his first year, Lawson has put up consecutive impressive seasons and had 67 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, and three sacks last fall.
The outstanding season saw Lawson named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, and he looks to be the leader of the Crimson Tide defense in 2023. Whether it is in coverage or dominating the run game, Lawson can do it all in Tuscaloosa.
1) Jalen Milroe, QB
After a difficult start to the 2023 season (which included being benched), Jalen Milroe came on strong down the stretch.
Completing 187 of his 284 passes for 2834 yards and 23 touchdowns, Milroe flashed what he can do as a passer, including the fourth-and-goal clutch game-winning touchdown against Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Furthermore, the Alabama QB rushed 161 times for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns.
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Under DeBoer (who evolved Michael Penix Jr. into one of the top QBs in college football), Milroe can kick on again in 2024. A national championship is always the goal in Tuscaloosa, and the redshirt junior will be a part of any success Alabama has in the fall.
Miss any action from the top college QB Rankings during the 2023 football season? Want to track all the movement with the college football transfer portal? College Football Network has you covered with that and more!