Nine athletes from Alabama, including rookie quarterback Eli Holstein, former five-star receiver
Shazz Preston, and starting center Seth McLaughlin, entered the transfer portal on Wednesday.
McLaughlin, who was in his fourth year at Alabama, may still be eligible to play for the next
program for up to two more years. He played in the SEC title game versus Georgia in 2021, which
was his first significant action as a Crimson Tide player.
In 2022, he made eight starts at center, and in 2023, he started every game.
In the College Football Playoff semifinal matchup between Michigan and Texas, McLaughlin was
the center. In the game, he missed two snaps, which appeared to be the conclusion of McLaughlin
and Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe’s snapping problems all season long.
Terrence Ferguson, an offensive lineman for Alabama, also added his name to the transfer portal,
which will negatively impact the depth of the line inside for the 2024 campaign.
Preston hasn’t produced much with the Crimson Tide despite being the 16th-ranked talent in the
2022 class.
In the 2023 recruiting class, Holstein was ranked as the 23rd best talent overall. He signed with
Alabama in the same class as ESPN 300 quarterback Dylan Lonergan. Starter for this season Milroe
declared he would return to Alabama in 2024, and Holstein is currently listed on the portal.
