Alabama's season is now over and the most exciting part of the offseason has begun. The transfer portal is more active than ever before due to the optimism surrounding the one-time transfer rule passing which would result in players being immediately eligible at their new school. Alabama has reached out to a few players and they also have a high school target to watch as well. This board will be updated as needed with names to watch, nuggets on players on the board, etc. so be sure to check-in to see updates as they occur. Let's get started with the names below.
Charles Bediako, 2021 Center, IMG Academy
This is a name Alabama fans are familiar with by now. Alabama fans have been patiently waiting for months to see where Bediako would attend college next season. He is down to a final five of Alabama, Duke, Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas. Tipton Edits posted a tweet that his commitment is coming soon. I anticipate that this could be wrapped up within the next week or two. I think Alabama is in a good spot here to potentially land his commitment. The staff has put hard work in here and, as of this moment, I think it will prevail. Hopefully, more information will come out in the coming days on when fans can expect Bediako to announce his decision. We will update this post as information becomes available.
Nimari Burnett, Guard, Texas Tech
Another name Alabama fans know well by now. Alabama finished second for Burnett in the fall of 2019 when Burnett committed to being a part of Texas Tech's 2020 class. Burnett decided to enter the transfer portal in January after a rocky start to his freshman year and just not being a great fit in Tech's style of play. I think Burnett has a very bright future wherever he lands to continue his college career and think he is going to be a huge addition to any team that gets him. Burnett is set to announce his decision on April 8. If Alabama wants Burnett, I believe they will get Burnett. Many seem to think Alabama is out in front here which would not surprise me. I don't have any firsthand knowledge of this recruitment, but I do believe if Alabama wants him then they will get their guy.
Noah Gurley, Forward, Furman
Gurley started all but 5 games (all 5 in his freshman year) during his 3-year career at Furman. This past season, Gurley averaged 15.4 points per game with 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 blocks on 48.8/33.9/69.1 shooting splits. Those are impressive stats coming from a really solid mid-major program that had Alabama on the ropes at home two times in the last two years. He is 6'8" and 210 pounds with good length and would be able to provide Alabama with valuable minutes on both ends of the floor. He is a good floor spacer (hence the 34% from 3 clip) and has a solid inside game as well. I'm a big fan of Gurley's and I could see Alabama making a push here depending on how the numbers shake out on the current roster. This is a name to watch.
Jayden Gardner, Forward, ECU
Jayden Gardner is an interesting name that Alabama has reportedly reached out to. He is not much of a threat from 3-point range currently, but he is very skilled at getting to the rim and finishing when he gets there. He is a really talented player on both ends and has been a starter at ECU for 3 years. He averaged 16.3 PPG and 8.5 RPG his freshman year, 19.7 and 9.2 his sophomore year, and 18.3 and 8.3 his junior year. The stats don't lie, he is highly productive and has been produced consistently. I am not sure what Alabama's interest level is in Garder and vice versa, but he is certainly a name to keep an eye on to see if Alabama ramps up interest or not.
This post will be updated as new information is available with each prospect and as Alabama adds new targets in the transfer portal this spring. Be sure to follow along with us. As always, if you have any comments or questions along the way be sure to post in this thread and we are happy to discuss.