The next step in building the 2025 Alabama football roster begins this week.

First, the Crimson Tide signed 21 recruits in the 2025 recruiting class. That has, and will continue to be, the main conduit for talent under coach Kalen DeBoer.

The transfer portal will be a supplementary resource too. It opened Monday and will stay that way for 20 days.

There will be departures from Alabama. They’ve already started. That’s just part of college football every year now. So, the transfer portal will take, but it also has a chance to give. More so than when DeBoer arrived in January.

“Last year, we were really just in full retention mode,” DeBoer said Sunday night. “There was no portal for us to take any guys, other than programs that lost head coaches. That was the situation we were in.”

This cycle, Alabama can and will take part at a time when there’s much more quality talent available.

“We’re going to retain and develop the guys we have here,” DeBoer said, “and fill in the areas that need some numbers or need to be a little bit better on the football field on Saturdays.”

Future departures, whether it be to the NFL Draft or to the portal, can create new positions of need. But for now, at the start of the transfer portal opening, here’s an early look at some of the top positions to watch as Alabama looks to augment its roster via the transfer portal.

Offensive tackle

If Kadyn Proctor hadn’t returned from Iowa, Alabama would have been in major trouble at tackle this past season.

It made do with what it had at right tackle, but not without plenty of bumps along the way. Elijah Pritchett struggled mightily at times, giving up 28 pressures according to Pro Football Focus. No one else on the team allowed more than 11 all season (Proctor and Jaeden Roberts). Pritchett also gave up five sacks; no one else allowed more than two.

Perhaps Wilkin Formby could still be developed there. He had a rough go early in the season, but he’s still young in his career. Alabama also is bringing in some quality freshmen on the offensive line.

The portal, however, could make the most sense as a spot for Alabama to add a quality, experienced offensive tackle.

Tight end

Specifically a tight end who can do some dirty work and block.

CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts are both seniors. Those two opened a number of lanes for players to run through this season. Both are about to complete their fourth seasons of eligibility in 2024. So Alabama needs to add at least one tight end whom it can trust to block.

Pass rusher

Alabama didn’t generate near enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2024.

In the regular season, the Crimson Tide ranked No. 11 in the SEC with 182 pressures, per PFF. Behind it? Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State.

Alabama lacked difference makers up front like it has been accustomed to having in recent years. See Dallas Turner. Or Will Anderson Jr. Without enough of those difference makers up front, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack often had to get creative in how and when he dialed up pressure.

An injury to Qua Russaw early in the season and another that ended Que Robinson’s season didn’t help. But it was too often clear that Alabama didn’t have enough pass rushers dominating up front, whether it be on the defensive line or on the edge. At least not enough that truly scared offenses.

Now Alabama needs to try and go land one of those difference makers via the portal. Maybe even two.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.