Alabama adds transfer OL from Ole Miss

Alabama added more depth to its interior offensive line on Saturday when it landed former Ole Miss guard Ethan Fields out of the transfer portal. The rising redshirt junior will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Crimson Tide. 

Fields is the third offensive lineman to commit to Alabama out of the transfer portal this weekend, joining Texas guard Nick Brooks and Cal Poly center Racin Delgatty, who both committed on Friday.

Last season, Fields appeared in five games for Ole Miss, taking part in a combined 63 offensive snaps. According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot-3, 320-pound lineman earned an 82.4 pass-blocking mark, not allowing a single pressure over 20 pass-blocking snaps. He also earned a 59.4 grade over his 43 run-blocking snaps. 

Fields, a Geismar, Louisiana native, was rated as the No. 55 offensive lineman in the 2023 class by 247Sports. He signed with Ole Miss over offers from Purdue and Georgia Tech. 

The guard position is one of Alabama’s biggest needs at the moment. The Tide lost four guards with starting experience this offseason, as Kam Dewberry, Jaeden Roberts and Geno VanDeMark all saw their eligibility expire while Wilkin Formby transferred to Texas A&M. Alabama’s depth at guard was also hit through the transfer portal by the departures of Olaus Alinen (Kentucky), Micah DeBose (Vanderbilt) and Roq Montgomery (Western Kentucky). 

Michael Carroll is the lone returning starter from last season’s offensive line. Along with losing Dewberry, Formby Roberts and VanDeMark, Alabama also lost starting left tackle Kadyn Proctor and starting center Parker Brailsford to the NFL Draft. 

Along with adding Fields, Brooks and Delgatty, the Tide previously signed a pair of Michigan offensive line transfers in tackle Ty Haywood and center Kaden Strayhorn. Alabama is also bringing in five freshmen offensive linemen in this year’s class. Those additions include four-star talents Bryson Cooley (6-foot-6, 315 pounds), Chris Booker (6-foot-4, 285 pounds) and Jared Doughty (6-foot-6, 300 pounds) as well as three-star talents Bear Fretwell (6-foot-7, 290 pounds) and Tyrell Miller (6-foot-5, 305 pounds). 

While Carroll played right tackle as a freshman, the 6-foot-6, 321-pound lineman has the ability to move inside to guard if needed. Alabama also returns rising redshirt sophomore Williams Sanders (6-foot-3, 308 pounds) as a possible starter at the guard position. 

The transfer portal window closed on Jan. 16. Only players who already entered their names in the portal are eligible to sign with new teams.