The transfer portal hasn’t been especially kind to Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama. While the Crimson Tide has added 17 transfers, their class still ranks just 10th in the SEC, primarily due to lingering gaps along the defensive line and at edge rusher.

Alabama has brought in pieces like Devan Thompkins and Kedrick Bingley-Jones. But the steady stream of departures at those positions is hard to ignore. Still, DeBoer hasn’t backed off. He has stayed aggressive on the trail, and that approach is paying off as Alabama lands EDGE rusher Desmond Umeozulu as its fifth portal addition on the defensive front.

Even though he came out of high school as a highly rated four-star recruit, Desmond Umeozulu never fully locked down a starting role at South Carolina. That’s a big reason why he hit the transfer portal. He was looking for a spot where he could realistically start in his final season. Things really sped up when the Gamecocks brought in another portal pass rusher, Caleb Herring from Tennessee.

South Carolina recruited Umeozulu as a four-star EDGE, and he played that role throughout his three seasons with the Gamecocks. While he wasn’t a full-time starter, he was a steady part of the rotation. He appeared in all 12 games as a freshman and junior, and 12 of 13 as a sophomore. His best year came in 2025, when he posted career highs with 19 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. It included his first career solo sack against South Carolina State.

Off the field, he checked all the right boxes, too. Umeozulu was a two-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll selection and earned CSC Academic All-District honors in 2024. Production aside, Alabama really needs bodies at the edge. He helps fill a room that has gone through major turnover. The Tide lost several edge defenders to the portal and the NFL. Qua Russaw, a part-time starter at the “wolf” linebacker spot, transferred to Ohio State.

Keon Keeley and Jordan Renaud also entered the portal. On top of that, LT Overton, one of Alabama’s top pass rushers, declared for the NFL Draft after posting a pressure rate north of 15 percent. Alabama typically rotates heavily between the “bandit” and “wolf” roles. So Umeozulu should get a real shot to earn snaps in that mix with his one year of eligibility left.

He’ll be competing alongside returning edge defenders like Yhonzae Pierre. He is back for his redshirt junior season after leading the team in sacks and tackles for loss in 2025 and is expected to start at “wolf.” Justin Hill is also back from last year’s roster, giving Alabama some continuity as it rebuilds the edge room.

Roster rebuilding at Tuscaloosa

Last season, Alabama’s defense carried a lot of the load. The Tide finished No. 9 nationally in passing yards allowed (170.3 per game) and No. 10 in points allowed (17.4 per game). Still, even with those numbers, the unit had clear issues stopping the run and generating a steady pass rush.

After the season, that defense took a major hit. Alabama lost several starters and key rotation pieces, especially up front and at linebacker. Tim Keenan III, James Smith, LT Overton, and Kelby Collins all moved on from the defensive line and edge spots. Even more glaring, the entire starting inside linebacker group: Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson, and Nikhai Hill-Green, all gone.

To counter all that turnover, Alabama has tried extracting everything from the portal. The focus has been clear: rebuild the trenches and keep the defense physically dominant coming next season.

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Up front, the upgrades are obvious:

• Terrance Green comes over from Oregon as a 6-foot-5, 330-pound nose tackle built to eat space.
• Devan Thompkins, one of the top defensive linemen in the portal, adds proven Power Four experience.
• Kedrick Bingley-Jones brings veteran SEC reps from Mississippi State.
• Caleb Smith arrives from Washington as a versatile depth piece with four years of eligibility left.

Alabama also patched holes at linebacker and in the secondary:

• Caleb Woodson transferred in from Virginia Tech and is expected to play right away after the mass exodus at linebacker.
• In the back end, Carmelo O’Neal adds size and length at safety, joining a group that already got a boost with Keon Sabb’s return.