Noteworthy Alabama QB Enters Transfer Portal

A very interesting name has hit the transfer portal in the wake of Alabama’s loss in the College Football Playoff.

Alabama freshman quarterback and former four-star recruit Eli Holstein entered the transfer portal Wednesday, 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported. He is a name to keep an eye on when it comes to Pitt’s potential quarterback plans in the near future.

Holstein — a 6-foot-4, 237-pound quarterback from Zachary, Louisiana — did not see the field as a true freshman at Alabama, but he is not far removed from being one of the top quarterback recruits in the class of 2023.

He was one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2023, flipping from Texas A&M to Alabama in the summer of 2022. As a consensus four-star recruit, he was rated as the 88th-ranked recruit in the class by 247Sports (eighth-overall quarterback) and 147th-ranked recruit in the class by Rivals (ninth-overall pro-style quarterback).

He held offers from the likes of Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Louisville, Miami, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, South Carolina, Stanford, Texas A&M and Utah before signing with Alabama last January.

Holstein was ultra-efficient in 2022 as a senior at Zachary, completing 159-of-244 pass attempts (65%) for 2,153 yards with 22 touchdowns and three interceptions — adding 64 carries for 505 yards (7.9 yards per attempt) and nine touchdowns.

And he was even better as a junior, throwing for 3,264 yards, rushing for 515 more and scoring 43 total touchdowns on the way to a perfect 15-0 season — capped by a state title.

With Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe returning next season, to go along with a crowded quarterbacks room filled with four- and five-star recruits, Holstein will look for an opportunity to play immediately elsewhere — with four seasons of eligibility remaining.

Holstein is a big, strong-armed quarterback, and while he isn’t a dual threat, he would be mobile enough to run a Kade Bell-run offense that requires quick decision-making and good ball placement.

Nate Yarnell and Christian Veilleux are returning to Pitt next season, with both having started games (to varying degrees of success) last season, and Ty Dieffenbach and Julian Dugger are both in the fold. But the Pitt coaching staff is certainly going to add another option, and Holstein is an option to keep an eye on.