Kalen DeBoer just missed out on having a big win as a recruiter, in light of the soon-to-open transfer portal. DB Kameron Howard announced his decision to transfer out of Alabama, becoming the first Tide player to do so this year. After a short and relatively uneventful time at Tuscaloosa, Howard is taking his skills elsewhere.

DeBoer and Howard began their Alabama journeys together in 2024. The latter came from Charlotte, where he had hauled in 38 tackles in his rookie season. But at Alabama, he was pushed down the depth chart, barely seeing any time. DeBoer put him on special teams duty instead, where he recorded most of his snaps. He leaves Tuscaloosa with more than 400 career snaps, 53 total tackles, and 2 interceptions. Howard will have 3 years of eligibility left.

Howard’s only defensive snaps this season have come against Louisiana-Monroe. He never got to start for Alabama, as talented DBs like Zabien Brown, Bray Hubbard, and Keon Sabb did most of the work. The DB only played 6 games in his career at Alabama, 2 of them coming this season. He got buried in the roster at Tuscaloosa, and more trouble followed after DeBoer began his plans for the 2026 season.  Rookie signees Jordan Edmonds and Zyan Gibson are expected to find a spot in the roster for the Rose Bowl.

Kameron Howard was a 3-star recruit out of Frances Academy in Fort Washington, Maryland. He led the team to a 9-1 record in his senior season. He was coached by Michigan interim HC Biff Poggi at Saint Frances. Coincidentally, DeBoer was rumored to take on the vacant HC role at Ann Arbor.

DeBoer had to restructure a skeleton roster when he replaced Nick Saban at Alabama. Obviously, it was a big shift in the program, and they were bound to lose players. However, in just two years, DeBoer has proven to be a strong force in roster management. The DB room filled out after 2023 in the wake of Saban’s departure, which is what pushed DeBoer to pick Kameron Howard in the portal. Nevertheless, the HC is still ready to face the possible departures that can follow Howard’s decision.

Kalen DeBoer already prepared for transfer portal discussion while prepping for CFP run

Roster retention proved to be an area where DeBoer excelled, as he lost no scholarship players to the transfer portal in the spring window this year. That happened despite Alabama going 9-4 in his first year of being at the helm. However, that label will no longer exist for DeBoer, now that Howard departs. The announcement came right before Alabama was to play its quarterfinal game with Indiana. It’s a tough time for DeBoer, but he was prepared for these difficult conversations.

“Our antennas are up,” DeBoer said on December 2.

“There also is a reality of that time coming when the portal does open. Just talking through any of the what-ifs, any of the different scenarios. And every guy’s situation is different. Us just kind of making sure that if there is any type of, don’t call it a red flag, but anything that you think might happen, let’s talk about it.”

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Five days after this comment, DeBoer lost Howard to the portal.

There is one more player who will join Kameron Howard in the portal from Alabama. Freshman WR Bubba Hampton and the Tide mutually parted ways in October. Like the DB, Hampton also didn’t see much playing time. But the seasoned and contributing players still have faith in an Alabama led by Kalen DeBoer. For now, no such player has expressed their intentions of transferring out.

Kalen DeBoer still has more than enough potential in the DB room with players like Bray Hubbard. But Howard’s departure can be the push that some players needed. The portal will open on January 2, which also means that they don’t have long to announce that decision.