Alabama’s secondary continued be to reshaped through the spring transfer window.

UAB sixth-year defensive back Jaylen Key announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide on Friday via Instagram. He became the second defensive back to transfer to Tuscaloosa in the last week, joining Louisiana’s Trey Amos.

Key chose the Tide over his home-state Florida State, Ohio State, Oregon, Ole Miss and North Carolina. Key visited Alabama twice since April 26, most recently this past Monday. Like Amos, Key provides Nick Saban and co. with another potential stater and depth piece in pass coverage and continued to mark a notable shift in how the Tide has operated in the portal this cycle.

“Understanding my ‘why,’” Key told AL.com’s Evan Dudley in Sept. 2022 about the root cause of his breakout season. “Why do I play the game of football? Through the ups and downs, you come in hot from recruiting and then you have to trust the process all over again. You go all the way back down and focus on the little things.”

Key was an All-Conference USA honorable mention as a redshirt junior last fall. He recorded three interceptions, 4.5 tackles for loss and was third on the Blazers with 60 total tackles. Key was a three-star prospect. Due to the NCAA’s COVID-19 waiver, the 2023 season will be Key’s last remaining year of eligibility.

Alabama now has restocked its defensive backfield, which needs to replace Brian Branch, Jordan Battle and DeMarcco Hellams. Two other cornerbacks, Jahquez Robinson and Tre’Quon Fegans, departed in the days leading up to the spring scrimmage.

Throughout the spring, Alabama turned to Caleb Downs, Malachi Moore and Kristian Story as safeties but also rotated Moore with Earl Little Jr. at star-cornerback. Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold seem set at boundary cornerbacks with five-star Dezz Ricks earning some playing time on A-Day. Another freshman, Tony Mitchell, remains suspended after his arrest in March.

Key spent the majority of his snaps at safety for UAB, while Amos was primarily a cornerback. In the past, Alabama’s transfers have become starters early in their tenure, as seen with Tyler Steen and Jahmyr Gibbs with the 2022 team.

Alabama has pulled in five transfers since the end of last season: Tyler Buchner (Notre Dame); CJ Dippre (Maryland); Trezmen Marshall (Georgia); Amos (Louisiana-Lafayette) and now Key.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].