The Alabama Crimson Tide rebuild just hit another bump. As if losing Jaylen Mbakwe, Jalen Hale, and Isaiah Horton isn’t enough, Kalen DeBoer’s roster depth took a hit. Word on the street is that DeBoer has now lost one of the SEC’s fastest players to Clark Lea’s Vanderbilt.

On January 9, College football media giants ON3 hopped onto X and shared the upsetting news for Kalen DeBoer: “BREAKING: Alabama transfer WR Cole Adams has committed to Vanderbilt @PeteNakos and @Hayesfawcett3 report.”

Cole Adams simply decided to hit the market for more opportunities on the field after spending three seasons mostly on special teams at Alabama. The 5’10” wideout is expected to join Clark Lea’s offense for the 2026 season and has two years of eligibility left.

Adams was actually a highly-rated, four-star recruit coming out of Owasso High School in Oklahoma. The Owasso native clocked a 10.65-second time in the 100-meter dash back in high school days. Due to Alabama’s stacked wide receiver room, he managed only five receptions for 71 yards and one touchdown.

Despite not getting many reps, he made a name for himself as a solid punt returner. He recorded 19 punt returns for 156 yards in the 2025 season alone. The Alabama coaches often praised his route-running abilities in practices, so it’s safe to assume it’s not a talent issue. It’s more of a logjam at the position or scheme issue.

Cole Adams’ best performance came against Eastern Illinois. In that game on November 22, he was a total workhorse on special teams and racked up an impressive 99 all-purpose yards – a mix of punt return and a couple of catches. That was enough for Vanderbilt to make a move for him.

The Commodores are hoping Adams can step right in and help fix their receiving game for the 2026 season. They recently lost their top receiver from the 2025 season, Tre Richardson, who transferred to Louisville.

Getting Adams on board is a key step in filling that gap. The plan is for him to use his speed and route-running ability to become a WR2 target for Jared Curtis or whoever’s throwing the football next season.

The coaching staff is working overtime to prove the 2025 offense wasn’t a one-hit wonder. This week alone, Vandy hosted Purdue transfer Nitro Tuggle and Old Dominion’s Ja’Cory Thomas for official visits. By aggressively targeting the transfer portal, they plan to add perhaps two or three wide receivers.

The positive news is DeBoer isn’t going to sit this one out. The former Washington HC is already heavily exploring the portal, looking for senior WRs.

Kalen DeBoer’s WR portal plans

Kalen DeBoer is looking to the transfer portal to fix his wide receiver group at Alabama. The team currently lacks experience, as several players have recently left, particularly after losing proven pass-catchers like Germie Bernard and Isaiah Horton.

So their first order of business is to grab some ready-to-play, older receivers who can step in immediately and help a relatively young roster. Kalen DeBoer is actually going out of his traditional way of developing wide receivers through recruiting to give Bama a better chance to compete for a national title in the 2026 season.

His biggest target is Cam Coleman from Auburn, arguably one of the best wide receivers in the entire SEC. His biggest target is Cam Coleman from Auburn, but landing arguably one of the best wideouts in the SEC will be a challenge, with several other major programs in pursuit.

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So, Alabama may need to be a little extra competitive with its offer. A smart move to aid in this pursuit was bringing in a new receivers coach, Derrick Nix, who previously coached at Auburn and has valuable connections to players like Coleman.

This strategic hire underscores the pressure DeBoer faces, as a three-year window is often considered a make-or-break period for any coach in the SEC.