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Former Alabama standout makes surprising admission on why he left the Crimson Tide for Ohio State a year ago

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Brandon Little | Last updated Feb 10, 2025 8:37 AM ET

Ohio State was aggressive in the transfer portal last year and they landed some big-time contributors. Though the Buckeyes’ National Championship roster was mostly players they were able to retain, the transfers filled in nearly perfectly.

Of course, Caleb Downs was the headliner of the class as the best defender in the county. Running back Quinshon Judkins was a huge get out of Ole Miss and rushed for 1,000 yards alongside TreVeyon Henderson.

However, a key get that may go under the radar for them was Alabama’s Seth McLaughlin. The 2024 Remington Trophy winner was one of three Alabama players to transfer to Columbus after Nick Saban retired. McLaughlin joined Downs and expected 2025 starting quarterback Julian Sayin to make the hike from Alabama.

McLaughlin landed with Ohio State after deciding to enter the transfer portal following Alabama’s loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl last year. On “The Cube Show” with Cole Cubelic, the soon-to-be NFL player provided some reasoning for his transfer out of Alabama.

"I felt like I got kind of stagnant in my development," McLaughlin stated on a problem that came about “Everything is blowing up, placing the whole loss on me, I seen my address got leaked on Twitter, it was kind of a surreal moment. I talked to Coach Saban and he told me he didn't want me to leave but understood why I wanted to. He wanted me to stay but I wasn't gonna do that. I’m glad it worked out the way it did.”

It is not all that often you hear a player complain about development at Alabama, so that is a big of a surprise. McLaughlin’s 2024 season with Ohio State came to an unfortunate end when he suffered an Achilles injury before the game against Michigan. The Alabama transfer was named the best center in the country in 2024 and was a key piece for the Buckeyes up front that called out protections.

At Alabama, McLaughlin was able to graduate in 2.5 years and started 24 games over three seasons with the Crimson Tide. In 2023, McLaughlin had snapping issues and some believe it was connected to QB Jalen Milroe. McLaughlin had some rough moments in 2023, which likely led to his eventual departure in the end.

It all worked out for McLaughlin in the end though, as he exits college football on top and will be drafted come April. The injury is one he is recovering from and he will be able to make his debut next NFL season.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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