Alabama football picked up some good news in the transfer portal, landing a talented former West Virginia tight end. The Crimson Tide are coming off an uneven first season under head coach Kalen DeBoer. Last year's team demonstrated its potential on several occasions, notably in the electric home win against Georgia. However, the 2024 Crimson Tide often lacked consistency and failed to qualify for the twelve-team College Football Playoff. Now, the pressure is on DeBoer in his second year to show results as this program continues to distance itself from the Nick Saban era.

While Alabama has largely been less active in the transfer portal than most top teams, the program did secure an intriguing commitment. On3 National Recruiting / Transfer Portal Reporter Hayes Fawceett has confirmed that West Virginia tight end Jack Sammarco has committed to the Crimson Tide. The Class of 2024 recruit played in 13 games for the Mountaineers last season and will have three years of eligibility remaining.

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Ty Simpson warms up before Alabama football A-Day 2025.
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6 foot 5, 238 pounds, Sammarco has potential as both a blocker and a pass-catcher at this level. That's good news because the Crimson Tide will need as many weapons as possible heading into the 2025 season in the post-Jalen Milroe era. As of now, Ty Simpson is the projected starting quarterback for this upcoming season. The longtime backup will get his opportunity early on in the year, but don't be surprised if five-star quarterback recruit Keelon Russell eventually grabs that brass ring.

The pressure will be on once again as the Crimson Tide head into a loaded SEC Conference. In fact, ESPN had four in-conference teams ahead of Alabama football in its way-too-early rankings. Those programs were Texas, Georgia, LSU, and South Carolina. These projections, however, do not change the expectations in Tuscaloosa.

The Crimson Tide have the resources and a standard of excellence that DeBoer must begin to meet if he wants to be there for a long time. The schedule, however, on paper, appears to be brutal once again. Along with an early-season trip to Georgia, Alabama will face a difficult four-game stretch against Tennessee, South Carolina, LSU, and Oklahoma. That being said, the twelve-team College Football Playoff gives teams with hard schedules more margin for error, record-wise. There's no excuse for the Crimson Tide to not be back where they belong in the playoff by season's end.