One more football player from Alabama has chosen to look into the transfer portal.
According to On3, defensive back Jake Pope has supposedly arrived. Pope would be the sixth defensive back overall—taking into account those who want to go to the NFL—to depart UA through the gateway. Pope redshirted in 2022 and made 11 appearances this fall, primarily on special teams.
Pope, a four-star safety from Buford (Georiga) High, would switch to the defensive end of the field toward the end of blowouts. He didn’t note any tackles. Pope’s exit is another instance of UA losing its future depth to the portal, as head coach Nick Saban has previously stated, which will make the spring depth chart fascinating.
In high school, Pope picked UA over North Carolina, Georgia, and Notre Dame. Among others, previous UA transfers have selected Earl Little Jr. from Florida State, Seth McLaughlin from Ohio State, and Anquin Barnes from Colorado.
The defensive backs who were likely to fight for my playing time next fall, in addition to Pope, are Kristian Story (undecided) and Little Jr. Rather, everyone will be playing football from Tuscaloosa.
