Saban’s Satisfied With Transfers Thus Far

Alabama football head coach Nick Saban spent his Wednesday morning at the Regions Tradition Pro-Am in Birmingham, Alabama. During his time speaking to the media, he discussed his pleasure with the new transfers so far.

"You know, a lot of the guys, guys that were there in the spring know exactly what they'll be able to contribute, you know any new players that we've added to the team since then, whether they're incoming freshmen or transfers or, you know guys that we'll evaluate over the summer and have a better idea of how they can improve and contribute to the team. But that's always been our philosophy, not to take somebody that's not going to make a positive impact on our team," said Saban.

The Crimson Tide has picked up five huge assets via the transfer portal: cornerback Eli Ricks, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receivers Jermaine Burton, Tyler Harrell, and offensive tackle Tyler Steen.

ElI Ricks, a transfer from LSU, spent two seasons with the Tigers. During that tenure, he started in 13 of 16 total games played, had 31 total tackles (20 solo, 11 assisted), one yard tackle for loss, five interceptions, and two touchdowns.

Ricks saw limited time in Alabama's annual A-Day game in April, recording five tackles (three solo, two assisted) for the Crimson team.

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Gibbs, a transfer from Georgia Tech, led the Yellow Jackets last season in rushing attempts (143), yards (746), and tied for the most rushing touchdowns (4). On the receiving side, Gibbs had the second-most receptions (36), yards (470), and the third-most touchdowns (2).

During Alabama's annual A-Day game, the running back had 100 yards, a touchdown, and averaged 11.1 yards per carry. Plus, he also saw some snaps on the receiving end picking up nine yards.

Burton, a transfer from Georgia, saw limited time in Alabama's annual A-Day game, picking up 36 yards during the scrimmage. He spent two years in Athens, Ga., and during the Bulldogs national championship season, Burton had the second-most receiving yards (497), the second-longest reception of the season (26), tied for the second-most touchdowns (5), and the fifth-most receptions on the team (26).

The wide receiver was one of the three transfers that Saban praised back in March for his performance during spring practice.

Tyler Harrell, a transfer from Louisville, announced his decision to join the Tide in late April. 

The Miami, Fla. native had a career-high season with the Cardinals last year, grabbing 18 receptions in 13 games, for 523 yards and six TDs. Harrell saw time on special teams last season as well, attempting four kick returns for 90 yards.

In 2021, the wide receiver ranked on the team with the: fifth-most receptions (18), the third-most receiving yards (523), the highest average yards per carry (29.1), the second-longest reception (92), and the most receiving touchdowns (6).

Tyler Steen, a transfer from Vanderbilt, spent four years at Vanderbilt and got the starting gig in 2019, his sophomore season.

Steen does a decent job of obstructing the defense, giving the quarterback more time and creating holes for positive plays.

Saban joined Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats and Alabama director of athletics Greg Byrne at the charity event.