Alabama football considered as one of the ‘beauties’ of the NCAA transfer portal.

Courtney Morgan believes the transfer portal is both a “gift and a curse” for Alabama football.

In an interview with the “All In: Alabama spring football” documentary on SEC Network, the Alabama football general manager discussed the contrasts between the summer leading into Year 2 of the Kalen DeBoer era and last season, claiming Crimson Tide players now understand “what’s expected of them.”

“You got a new coach, taking over for an old coach, the expectations can get lost a little bit,” Morgan told me. “There is usually a little stubbornness. I would think the most important term is trust. I believe there is greater trust in the building between the coaches and the players because we’ve been there for a year.”

Morgan brought up the transfer portal, describing it as a tool that will provide Alabama with a stronger perspective of team cohesion heading into 2025.

“I think one of the beauties of the portal — the portal, it’s a gift and a curse — you ultimately know the guys that really want to be here,” Morgan remarked in response. Alabama did not lose a scholarship athlete to the transfer portal during the 10-day spring transfer window.

Alabama signed two tight ends, Jack Sammarco (West Virginia) and Brody Dalton (Troy), as well as Kam Dewberry (Texas A&M), Cam Calhoun (Utah), Dre’lyn Washington (Louisiana), Kelby Collins (Florida), Arken Anungwom (Ball State), Nikhai Hill-Green (Colorado), Blake Doud (Colorado School of Mines), and Isaiah Horton (Miami), who said the Crimson Tide “embraced me with open arms.”

“If you go to Bama, you must be something,” Horton added. “You must be one of them and one of those men. Coming here is an honor. It’s an honor to play on this practice field, to be in this facility, and to be with you because you’ve been around people who have contributed to that tradition.”