Alabama football just received major news on the transfer portal status of running back Justice Haynes. Haynes is a former top 35 recruit from the class of 2023. The sophomore rushed for 448 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Under new head coach Kalen DeBoer, 2024 has been a disappointing year for Alabama football. The Crimson Tide returned a Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterback in Jalen Milroe, yet slightly missed out on the twelve-team College Football Playoff.

Now, Alabama heads into the ReliaQuest Bowl against Michigan on December 31, trying to avoid being the first Crimson Tide team since 2007 to win less than ten games. And it looks like Kalen DeBoer's team will play that game without Justice Haynes. According to National College Football Writer for 247Sports Chris Hummer, Haynes has officially entered the transfer portal.

Alabama football's future is suddenly a bit murky

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer walks onto the field before a game against the Auburn Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
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Haynes was the second-string running back for the Crimson Tide in 2024. The sophomore was third on the team in rushing behind starting running back Jam Miller and quarterback Jalen Milroe. One fact that may have inspired Haynes' transfer is that Jam Miller had nearly twice as many carries as the second-stringer but averaged a yard less per carry. Haynes' best game was against Western Kentucky, where he had 102 yards on four carries and a touchdown.

This loss is a blow to the Crimson Tide, which will continue to have title-sized expectations in the future. The good news is that Alabama football has the third-ranked recruiting class coming into 2025. This class includes 4-star running back Aklyin Dear, who will surely add to the Crimson Tide's backfield depth.

Alabama will also bring in 5-star quarterback Keelon Russell after the duel-threat prospect flipped his commitment from SMU. Russell, the 14th-ranked prospect in the class of 2025, could serve as a replacement for Jalen Milroe if the senior declares for the NFL Draft. That decision still hasn't been made. Should Milroe return for one more year in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide will be one of the national title favorites heading into next year.

Overall, Alabama's loss of Justice Haynes is a bummer. However, the Crimson Tide has lost talented running backs before and will continue to do that in the future. Under Nick Saban, the program was consistently built on a strong ground game. Alabama's first two Heisman winners were star tailbacks Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry. Kalen DeBoer will need to continue to have a strong backfield if he plans to return the Crimson Tide to where they belong in the SEC and college football overall.