Many players are hopping into the transfer portal this spring, with Deion Sanders Colorado Buffaloes leading the list with the most transfer portal departures in the 2024 cycle with 41. Alabama stands right behind Colorado with 39 departures, a tie with Indiana and Michigan State. Although one of the top college football programs, this isn’t surprising after Nick Saban announced his retirement in January this year. 

Alabama has enticed elite players into its football program for several seasons, culminating in success on the field with seven National Championships. If you’re wondering how the Crimson Tides recruit talents, the secret is revealed. 

Alabama focuses on recruiting high school talents

Alabama GM Courtney Morgan appeared in a YouTube video by 247Sports where he expressed his opinion on how to build a powerful roster, saying, “I think you got to stay true to your philosophy no matter what because it’s been proven and it works.” According to him, the most important part of building a roster is “high school recruiting.”

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Morgan said, “I don’t believe and Coach DeBoer doesn’t believe in building a team through the transfer portal… Capitalize in the high school recruiting, fill your holes in the portal. But the biggest thing about the portal is you have to realize that you got to take proven players.” This method has helped Alabama forge a strong roster filled with young elite talent bubbling with talent and enthusiasm. As both Alabama and Colorado suffer a similar portal departure, this could be a subtle dig at Coach Prime’s recruiting antics because he follows a starkly different philosophy.

Deion Sanders targets players in the transfer portal

While the main focus for Alabama is enticing prospective high school talents into committing, Coach Prime is more about signing players who already have experience in college football. He prefers signing transfers over high school recruits because they don’t usually require visits from a prospective HC. He said, “We target mostly guys that’s in the portal.”

The Buffs didn’t fulfill the field performance expectations of its fans under Coach Prime’s first season in Colorado as they fell in a dismal record of 4-8. We can’t say whether signing high school or transfer players is more beneficial because what works for one may not work for another. But if the stats do the talking, it’s clear Alabama has found success in its recruiting tactic.