Take Tre’Quon Fegans, for example. For the third straight year, he’s entered the NCAA Transfer Portal and is now searching for what would be his fourth college football team in as many seasons. Originally a 4-star prospect and ranked No. 117 nationally by the 247Sports Composite, Fegans began his career at Alabama in 2022 but didn’t see the field. He quickly transferred to USC ahead of the 2023 season.
At USC, Fegans appeared in just three games and logged limited stats before transferring again—this time to UCF. In 2024, he saw action in seven games with the Knights and recorded only two tackles. Now, following spring practices, Fegans has once again entered the portal.
Fegans’ journey suggests he may not have been quite ready for the level of competition at Alabama. But it’s hard to say definitively—had he stayed, he might have carved out a role by now. Alabama’s secondary was young and relatively inexperienced last season and could have benefited from a more seasoned player. Instead, Fegans opted for the allure of immediate opportunity elsewhere, sacrificing the continuity and development that can come from staying in one place.
The truth is, the grass often isn’t greener for Alabama transfers.
After spring practice, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer gave his players a word of caution just before the 10-day spring portal window opened.
“Be careful what you ask for,” DeBoer said. “The grass is definitely not greener on the other side.”
He would know. Since taking over for the retired Nick Saban, DeBoer has seen a flood of players leave Alabama. While some landed on their feet, many ended up back in the portal after struggling to find success at their new schools. Among those were Jake Pope, Amari Niblack, James Brockermeyer, Anquin Barnes, Antonio Kite, and Khurtiss Perry.
So far, though, it seems DeBoer’s message is sticking—one day into the spring portal window, Alabama is one of the few programs yet to lose a player. That could change quickly, but for now, the Crimson Tide roster remains intact.
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