A year after adding five transfers through the portal to mixed results, Alabama has been more selective this offseason.

The Tide has added only two: Maryland tight end CJ Dippre and Georgia linebacker Trezmen Marshall.

If Alabama targets a player in the transfer portal, it means Saban believes he can make an “immediate impact” on the team. And for Dippre, the opportunity for playing time is obvious.

Alabama lost starting tight end Cameron Latu to the NFL draft, where he is expected to become a mid-round pick next week. Latu had 56 catches for 787 yards and 12 touchdowns over the past two seasons, with no other tight end on the roster coming close to rivaling his production as a receiver.

Enter Dippre, who played in Mike Locksley’s offense at Maryland and caught 30 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns last season. At 6-foot-5 and 257 pounds, the junior fits the size mold of a tight end who can be effective not only as a receiver but also a blocker — a combination Saban has often cited as challenging for opposing defensive coordinators.

“He’s a good competitor,” Saban said Saturday. “He can do all three things you want him to do at tight end, whether it’s playing the C area [outside the offensive tackle], be an H-back type of blocker or split out and be a good receiver. We’re excited about him and the contribution he can make.”

Saban also revealed that Dippre missed time this spring because of injury.

“CJ’s done a really good job,” he said. “He was having a little ankle sprain or foot sprain or something for a while and missed a little bit, but I think he’s gonna be a good player for us.”

Junior Robbie Ouzts, who played a hybrid fullback/tight end role alongside Latu last season, has been limited in spring practice because of injury. Between Dippre and Ouzts’ absences, practice snaps were available for the other five tight ends on the roster — with Saban noting two in particular.

“That whole tight end group this spring has really — Danny Lewis has really made a lot of progress. Amari (Niblack) has made a lot of progress,” he said Saturday. “That whole group has really made a lot of improvement. Robbie Ouzts is not out there because of injury, but I’ve really been encouraged by how that group has improved and progressed.”

Saturday’s spring game will also provide an early look at how Rees uses his tight ends. Rees made heavy use of tight ends as Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator but that might not hold true in Tuscaloosa. Like past offensive coordinator hires, Rees will run Saban’s playbook.

“He’s taken our system and pretty much used our system that we use, added some things to it,” Saban said earlier this month.

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.