ALABAMA HAS FINALLY OWNED THE RACE BY SIGNING RB FROM….

Thoughts from the Transfer Portal: Examining the Alabama football team’s prospects at EDGE
After this season, Alabama will probably lose both Chris Braswell and Dallas Turner to the NFL. Two of the transfer portal’s edge defenders are in Tuscaloosa this weekend. What’s the meaning of it all?

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama: After two weeks of the transfer portal being accessible, it is evident that Alabama is giving experienced edge defenders priority.

Trey Moore of UTSA and Fadil Diggs of Texas A&M are both in town this weekend. Tyler Baron of Tennessee has also been in communication with the Crimson Tide. They’re all regarded as plug-and-play choices.

According to 247Sports, Diggs is the sixth-best edge defender in the portal. Over the past two seasons, he has made 20 starts. Midway through the 2022 season, he sustained an injury. However, he made a comeback in 2023, recording 4 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 36 total tackles, and 24 pressures.

Moore, the defensive player of the American Athletic Conference in the previous season, is ranked second in the portal. Over the past two seasons, he has started 25 games and recorded 22 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss. He finished 12 games in 2023 with 14 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, 45 total tackles, and 38 total pressures.

The No. 5 edge in the portal, Baron, has played in 12 games this season and has recorded 6 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss, 28 total tackles, 41 pressures, two pass breakups, and a 24-yard touchdown scoop and score. Over the previous three seasons, he has started 19 games, including 11 this past season.

Everything about this makes sense. After this season ends, Alabama will probably lose both Chris Braswell and Dallas Turner to the NFL Draft, and there isn’t much of an experienced outside linebacker or edge rusher behind them that will be back in 2024.

It will be interesting to see how many edge defenders Alabama brings in, if any.

It’s time to hoops now that finals week is over. This Saturday’s college basketball schedule is excellent. Blue Blood matches, heavyweight matchups between opponents, and perhaps the year’s greatest matchup between two Final Four contenders? Arizona is the Pac-12’s reigning champion. The Big Ten’s Thor is Purdue. However, it is devoid of a hammer. Zach Edey is in it.

What a conflict.

Prior to delving into the specifics of this Saturday’s major games, allow me to quickly discuss a few other noteworthy matchups: