Alabama transfer announces commitment to SEC program

The Alabama transfer has made a decision.

One of the first Alabama Crimson Tide players to announce their intentions to enter the NCAA transfer portal this cycle has now made a decision, as edge rusher Keanu Koht officially committed to a SEC program Wednesday afternoon.

Koht, who committed to the Vanderbilt Commodores, previously announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal back in mid-November.

RELATED: Alabama football transfer portal tracker

A former four-star prospect, Koht saw limited action across his time with the Crimson Tide, amassing nine tackles with three TFL, 0.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery. During the 2024 season, Koht appeared in seven games where the edge rusher had five tackles, one TFL, 0.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.

Now at Vanderbilt, Koht will also make a return trip to Tuscaloosa next year, as the Commodores are set to play Alabama once again in 2025. The date is currently to be determined.

Koht is the first Alabama player in the transfer portal to announce a decision for 2025.

Which Alabama players plan to enter the transfer portal?

Alabama has already seen some transfer portal movement so far this season.

When the 2024 college football season eventually comes to a close, all of the attention across the sport will shift toward the transfer portal which is certain to be action-packed from the start.

In fact, numerous players across college football have already announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal when it opens, some of whom are members of the Alabama Crimson Tide program.

Which players from Alabama have declared their intention to enter the transfer portal so far this season? Though the number will almost certainly rise, the list currently consists of two names:

Jehiem Oatis, Defensive Tackle

Oatis, a junior defensive tackle, announced his intentions to enter the portal as well as redshirt this season in early October. Across the past three seasons combined, Oatis had 57 tackles, three tackles for loss, 1 1/2 sacks and five passes defended for the Crimson Tide. He had two tackles and one pass defended this season.

Keanu Koht, Edge Rusher

Koht, an edge rusher, announced last week his intentions to depart the Crimson Tide program. A redshirt junior, Koht had a combined nine tackles, three TFL, 1/2 sack and one fumble recovery during his Alabama career. This season he had five tackles, one TFL and 1/2 sack this season.

Alabama outside linebacker to reportedly enter transfer portal

A second Alabama player has now entered the transfer portal during this season.

After four seasons in Tuscaloosa, Alabama Crimson Tide outside linebacker Keanu Koht will reportedly be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal, becoming the second player from the program to do so during the 2024 season.

Koht, who has not seen action in recent weeks due to a suspension according to Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, appeared in seven games during the 2024 season for the Crimson Tide, amassing five tackles, one TFL, 0.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery.

A redshirt junior, Koht is a former four-star, Top 100 prospect from the 2021 class out of Vero Beach High School in Florida that ranked as the nation’s No. 3 overall edge rusher in that cycle.

After redshirting during the 2021 season as a true freshman, Koht has seen action each of the last three seasons at Alabama, a span in which he had a combined nine tackles, three TFL, 0.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery.

Koht now joins former defensive tackle Jehiem Oatis as the lone players to enter the transfer portal from Alabama so far this season.

Kalen DeBoer gives update on suspended Alabama player

An Alabama player is suspended according to coach Kalen DeBoer.

In the Alabama Crimson Tide’s blowout 42-13 victory over the LSU Tigers on Saturday night in Baton Rouge, the program was without one player in particular on the defensive side of the ball: redshirt junior Keanu Koht.

After reports that Koht did not travel with the team to Baton Rouge, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer gave an update on the outside linebacker Monday during his weekly press conference. The redshirt junior is suspended.

“He wasn’t with us, and he’s suspended right now,” DeBoer said. “Not going to get into length or anything like that, but he won’t be with us this weekend.”

Koht has seen action in seven games for the Crimson Tide, recorded a career-high five tackles with one tackle for loss, one-half a sack and one fumble recovery.

With Koht out for the Mercer game, look for Qua Russaw and Yhonzae Pierre to feature heavily at outside linebacker after the injury to starter Que Robinson.

10 Alabama players who should see more playing time in Week 3 matchup against USF

Changes must be made if Alabama wants a shot at the College Football Playoff. Here are 10 names to look out for.

There have been some good things and some bad things that the Alabama football team has done throughout the first two weeks of the season.

Some of the biggest concerns have been the inconsistency at the quarterback position and the inability to effectively create a pass rush. Those two issues will need to be cleaned up moving forward. Alabama could be in for a long, long season ahead if not.

With that said Roll Tide Wire takes a closer look at 10 players that should see more playing time in Alabama’s Week 3 matchup against USF as the Crimson Tide looks to run the table in the remaining 10 games of the season.

Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 19 days

We are now just 19 days away from the start of Alabama football’s 2023 season!

The Alabama Crimson Tide will take the field for the 2023 college football season in 19 days, as Middle Tennessee State visits Bryant Denny Stadium on Sept. 2.

Here at Roll Tide Wire, we will be counting down the days until Nick Saban and his team take the field.

With 19 days remaining, we will take a look at one of the most consistent defenders of the Coach Saban era, [autotag]Reggie Ragland[/autotag].

Ragland played in Tuscaloosa from 2012-15 and during his final two seasons was a tackling machine. In his Tide career, Ragland totaled 220 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks.

Linebacker [autotag]Keanu Koht[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Kendrick Law[/autotag] currently wear No. 19 for the Crimson Tide.

Reggie Ragland’s Photo Gallery

Post-spring depth chart projections for Alabama’s outside linebackers

Projecting Alabama’s outside linebacker depth chart post-spring!

Now that spring football has officially wrapped up and the 2023 NFL draft is complete, it is time to shift our focus to the offseason.

Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide have a ton of questions marks exiting spring and fans are chomping at the bit for answers.

So as we dive into the dog days of summer, I thought we could take a look, position by position, and project the possible depth chart for the 2023 Alabama football team post-spring.

We have already taken a look at the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive line, and defensive line. Today we will keep it along the defensive front and look at the outside linebacker!

10 players who stood out in Alabama’s A-Day game on Saturday

Roll Tide Wire takes a look at 10 players that stood out in Alabama’s A-Day game on Saturday afternoon.

Alabama held its annual spring game on Saturday, April 22. There were some key returners as well as plenty of newcomers who put their skillset on display for the Alabama fanbase.

The Tide saw several star players enter the NFL draft in the offseason. This simply means that other players will have to step up to replace them.

There were a couple of players that stood out more than others in the A-Day spring game. With spring practices wrapping up, there will be a handful of others that join the team in the summer.

Roll Tide Wire highlights 10 players who stood out in Alabama’s A-Day game on Saturday.

Alabama will be without three key players this spring

Tough news for a trio of players as Alabama enters spring practice

Alabama football returned to the practice field on Friday to begin its annual spring practice. As usual, head coach Nick Saban stepped to the podium afterward to offer his thoughts on the first day and what his expectations are for spring training.

Maybe the most important remarks of the evening were the announcement that Ja-Corey Brooks, Darrian Dalcourt, and Keanu Koht would miss spring practice in its entirety.

Losing Brooks is a blow to the wide receiver room that is bringing back very little experience from last season. Dalcourt was expected to compete for a position along the offensive line and missing the spring will certainly impede his progression. Losing Koht isn’t nearly as critical as the other two, but missing spring practice only delays development for the player and limits the depth at the position.

As a freshman, Brooks hauled in 15 receptions for 192 yards and two touchdowns.

Dalcourt started 11 games in 2021 for the Tide and losing his experience is tough news for the offensive line group that has several questions marks entering spring practice.

Koht did not see any action in his first season in Tuscaloosa but was expected to provide some depth on the edge for the Alabama defense.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continuous coverage of spring practice in Tuscaloosa.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Alabama flips commitment of four-star LSU recruit

LSU has won some and lost some (including to Alabama) during the early signing period.

You win some and you lose some.

Such has been the story of the early signing period for LSU football, which has flipped the commitments of some recruits and seen other go the other way, out of the Bayou Bengals’ favor.

LSU lost four-star defensive end Keanu Koht to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Wednesday as he made his decision between the two SEC rivals.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder from Vero Beach, Florida, was originally committed to the Tigers as of July 4.

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LSU hardly put on a strong showing this year against Alabama after a historical victory in Tuscaloosa behind players like star quarterback Joe Burrow last year, losing 55-17 in Tiger Stadium this season.

“I can tell that they really mean business and they’re going to train their players to the best of their ability, so that’s something that brought a lot of interest to me,” Koht said of Alabama in a BamaOnline report earlier this year.

It will be interesting to see how recruiting continues to shake out for the Tigers as they prepare to play their final game of the season against the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT in Tiger Stadium.

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