At 12:21 a.m. CDT Saturday, the Philadelphia Stars tweeted the USFL team had released LaBryan Ray to allow the former Alabama defensive tackle to sign with an NFL team.

Ray had worked out for the Carolina Panthers on Friday, and Carolina had released running back Tiyon Evans that day, leaving the NFL team with an open spot on its 90-player training-camp roster.

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Could Ray’s NFL destination have been that vacancy on the Panthers’ roster?

On Saturday – 11 hours after the Stars’ announcement — came confirmation from Ray’s agency, SportsTrust Advisors: Ray had signed with Carolina.

Ray joined the Stars on May 3, three games into the USFL’s season. He recorded three sacks in Philadelphia’s remaining seven games.

Ray came to Alabama from James Clemens High School in Madison after winning the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 7A Lineman of the Year Award in 2015 and 2016.

An undrafted rookie in 2022, Ray stuck with the New England Patriots as a practice-squad member after playing 102 defensive snaps in three preseason games in August. On Oct. 26, the Patriots placed Ray on injured reserve with an undisclosed ailment, and he finished the season there.

Ray re-signed with New England on Jan. 10, but the Patriots waived him on Feb. 17.

Ray becomes the third player with Alabama football roots among the Panthers’ defensive linemen, joining former Auburn All-American Derrick Brown and Murphy High School standout Taylor Stallworth.

Carolina will kick off its three-game preseason schedule on Aug. 12 against the New York Jets.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.