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Finally, the dust is starting to settle on the 2020 season. Being that the Championship Game was ten days ago and the partying is done, it’s probably safe to start looking at the next campaign. Last week, underclassmen Christian Barmore, Mac Jones, Patrick Surtain II and Jaylen Waddle announced their decisions to forgo any future years of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft. Not among them announcing were LaBryan Ray and Phidarian Mathis - which is great news for the Alabama defensive line.
Some seniors who have an opportunity at an NCAA magic wand bonus season made their intentions known as well. Those playing in the Senior Bowl are not coming back.
Below is a list of all draft eligible players and their situations as of post. Those with blank statuses are assumed to be returning to the Tide in 2021. Names in bold are returning players who had starts in 2020.
| Xavier Williams | WR | R-So. | |
| Jalyn Armour-Davis | DB | R-So. | |
| Eddie Smith | DB | R-So. | Transfer to Illinois |
| Slade Bolden | WR | R-So. | |
| Jarez Parks | LB | R-So. |
missing from the roster 6/1/21 |
| Emil Ekiyor Jr. | OL | R-So. | |
| Christian Barmore | DL | R-So. | Declared for NFL |
| Tommy Brown | OL | R-So. | |
| Michael Parker | TE | R-So. | |
| Cameron Latu | TE | R-So. | |
| Stephon Wynn Jr. | DL | R-So. | |
| Patrick Surtain II | DB | Jr. | Declared for NFL |
| Ale Kaho | LB | Jr. |
|
| Skyler DeLong | P | Jr. | No longer on the roster |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | Jr. | Declared for NFL |
| Ronald Williams Jr. | DB | Jr. |
Transfer Portal |
| Josh Jobe | DB | Jr. | |
| Jaylen Moody | LB | Jr. | |
| Daniel Wright | DB | R-Jr. | |
| Christopher Allen | LB | R-Jr. | |
| Mac Jones | QB | R-Jr. | Declared for NFL |
| LaBryan Ray | DL | R-Jr. | Expected back |
| Phidarian Mathis | DL | R-Jr. | Tweeted return announcement |
| Kendall Randolph | TE/OL | R-Jr. | |
| Major Tennison | TE | R-Jr. | |
| Joseph Bulovas | PK | R-Jr. | Transfer to Vandy |
| Brian Robinson Jr. | RB | Sr. | Expected back |
| DeVonta Smith | WR | Sr. | Declared for NFL |
| Najee Harris | RB | Sr. | Declared for NFL |
| Dylan Moses | LB | Sr. | Declared for NFL |
| Thomas Fletcher | SN | Sr. | Declared for NFL |
| Alex Leatherwood | OL | Sr. | Declared for NFL |
| Charlie Scott | P | Sr. |
|
| Carl Tucker | TE | Sr. | Tweeted goodbye |
| Ben Davis | LB | R-Sr. | Transfer to Texas? |
| Deonte Brown | OL | R-Sr. | Declared for NFL |
| Landon Dickerson | OL | R-Sr. | Declared for NFL |
| Chris Owens | OL | R-Sr. | Tweeted return announcement |
| Miller Forristall | TE | R-Sr. | Declared for NFL |
| Joshua McMillon | LB | Gr. | Tweeted goodbye |
TRANSFER PORTAL
- DT Ishmael Sopsher > Southern Cal
- OLB Kevin Harris > Georgia Tech
- ILB Ale Kaho >
UtahUCLA - OLB Ben Davis> Texas (finally on UT roster)
- DB Eddie Smith > Illinois
- PK Joseph Bulovas > Vanderbilt
- DB > Ronald Williams > Michigan State
- DB Brandon Turnage > UGA > Tennessee
- RB Keilan Robinson > Texas
- RB Kyle Edwards > ? Still no landing spot (8/21/21)
- OLB King Mwikuta > ? Still no landing spot (8/21/21)
COACHES
Alabama is also experiencing some turnover among the coaching staff.
| COACH | POSITION | STATUS | REPLACEMENT | CANDIDATES |
| Nick Saban | Head Coach | Not going anywhere | - | - |
| Pete Golding | Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers | Assumed returning | - | - |
| Steve Sarkisian | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks | Texas head coach | Bill O'Brien | - |
| Jeff Banks | Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends | Texas assistant |
|
|
| Kyle Flood | Offensive Line | Texas assistant | Doug Marrone (Former Jaguars head coach) | - |
| Charles Huff | Associate Head Coach/Running Backs | Marshall head coach | Robert Gillespie (former UNC RB coach) | |
| Charles Kelly | Associate Defensive Coordinator/Safeties | Assumed returning | - | - |
| Freddie Roach | Defensive Line | Assumed returning | - | - |
| Karl Scott | Cornerbacks | Vikings DB coach | Jay Valai | - |
| Sal Sunseri | Outside Linebackers | Assumed returning | - | - |
| Holmon Wiggins | Wide Receivers | Assumed returning | - | - |
We will update this post as events unfold.
UPDATE: It appears that despite punter Charlie Scott’s grad-transfer to Alabama, he still owes a military obligation to the Air Force. He was able to acquire a one-year military waiver to make the move to the Capstone and yet his name is still on the official roster.
UPDATE: New running backs coach Robert Gillespie played for Steve Spurrier at Florida and later coached under him at South Carolina. After two-year gigs at Oklahoma State and West Virginia, he spent five seasons with Butch Jones for that era at Tennessee. Gillespie has spent the last three seasons at UNC, producing a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Michael Carter (1,245) and Javonte Williams (1,140) this past season. The 41-year old Hattiesburg, Mississippi native is credited with recruiting Alvin Kamara to Knoxville.
UPDATE: Alabama is expected to fill out the staff with the hiring of Tennessee running backs coach Jay Graham as tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. He has also recently coached at South Carolina, FSU, and Texas A&M among other stops.
2/6 UPDATE: Cornerbacks coach Karl Scott has taken a position with the Minnesota Vikings.
2/12 UPDATE: Placekicker Joseph Bulovas announces he will play his last two years at Vanderbilt.
2/12 UPDATE: Jay Valai will replace Karl Scott as the cornerbacks coach.
2/15 UPDATE: Ben Davis is in the Transfer Portal for a potential sixth season. (see UPDATE below)
2/19 UPDATE: Ale Kaho enters Transfer Portal. (see UPDATE below)
3/1 UPDATE: Former Eastern Michigan, Louisville, and Alabama A&M head coach Ron Cooper will join the staff as an analyst. The Huntsville, Alabama native last served as the defensive backs coach at Arkansas during the 2018 and 2019 seasons and has coaching experience at several stops, including MSU, TAMU, LSU, and South Carolina. His specialty in defensive backs.
3/5 UPDATE: Ben Davis will reportedly join the Texas Longhorns. No announcement has been made by the school.
3/5 UPDATE: Ale Kaho has removed any mention of “Utah” from his social media. Stay tuned...
3/8 UPDATE: Kaho now says he is going to UCLA. No announcement has been made by the school.
3/24 UPDATE: Less than two months after he was hired, Jay Graham has left Alabama. The former Tennessee assistant Tweeted something about needing a mental health break.
Late March UPDATE: Drew Svoboda has emerged as the leading candidate to take over for Graham.
4/5 UPDATE: Svoboda officially hired.
4/5 UPDATE: Charlie Potter of BamaOnLine reports that Ben Davis is indeed heading to Texas. I am still going to hold off until I hear something from the school.
4/23 UPDATE: Ronald Williams into the TP. 5/11 UPDATE: Michigan State
5/6 UPDATE: Brandon Turnage has entered the TP. 5/14 UPDATE: UGA
5/31 UPDATE: Punter Charlie Scott is no longer on 2021 Alabama football roster. I suppose he belongs to Uncle Sam for the next three years.
6/1 UPDATE: LB Jarez Parks’s name has disappeared from the roster.
6/1 UPDATE: Running back Keilan Robinson has entered the transfer portal. Buh-bye.
6/3 UPDATE: After a year at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC, former Alabama DB Scooby Carter announced that he will be joining Butch Jones at Arkansas State.
6/5 UPDATE: Running back Kyle Edwards has entered the transfer portal.
6/6 UPDATE: Keilan Robinson to Texas.
6/7 UPDATE: Reports that Brandon Turnage is back in the transfer portal. Status unknown. UPDATE: Tennessee.
6/30 UPDATE: Outside linebacker King Mwikuta enters NCAA transfer portal.
8/4 UPDATE: Freshman DB Kadarius Calloway headed to East Mississippi Community College.
8/11 UPDATE: Nick Saban said Xavier Williams has a medical issue. “Without saying what, he’s medically not going to play this year.”
8/22 UPDATE: King Mwikuta is participating in fall practice. I guess he is not going anywhere.