Just two days removed from their loss to Michigan, Alabama has lost a key part of their roster. Starting Center Seth McLaughlin has announced that he will enter the transfer portal according to Nick Kelly of Tuscaloosa News.
He has spent four seasons with the Crimson Tide and still has some eligibility. As a Redshirt Junior, he has started 22 games over the last two years. In the CFP Semi-Final loss to Michigan, McLaughlin struggled. He had made several errant snaps which stalled the Alabama offense throughout the game.
A former three-star prospect and the No. 441 overall recruit in the nation in the 2020 recruiting class. McLaughlin worked his way up the ladder in Tuscaloosa. He had become the starter in 2021, playing well in the Iron Bowl against an elite Georgia defensive front. Throughout the 2023 season, Seth McLaughlin has struggled with his snaps. Midway through the season, he switched the way he moves the ball. That helped alleviate some of the problems but issues were still prevalent. Towards the end of the season, those issues had returned.
For Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide, they will likely turn to Redshirt Sophomore James Brockermeyer. He has been the backup to McLaughlin for the past several seasons. There’s the possibility that they could grab someone out of the portal as well.
Even with the struggles, McLaughlin had become a steady inside presence on the inside of the offensive line. At the beginning of the year, he was on the watch list for the Remington Trophy, which is given to the nation’s top center. No matter what team gets the IOL, he’ll provide them with an experienced starter.
A few teams who may be looking for an experienced center could include Oregon, Washington, Georgia and Duke.
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