Alabama football: Former five-star recruit Ben Davis enters transfer portal

Former five-star recruit Ben Davis leaves the Alabama football program via the transfer portal.

After five years on the Alabama football team, linebacker Ben Davis is hitting the transfer portal.

Davis was a former five-star recruit for the Crimson Tide in the 2016 recruiting class. He played sparingly at Alabama, serving as a backup this past season. The Gordo, Alabama native is a graduate transfer and will be eligible to play immediately. He took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to announce his intention of entering the transfer portal, thanking Alabama for everything as well.

“I want to say thank you to the University of Alabama and Coach Saban for giving me the opportunity to play college football at the highest level while also earning my degree. My time in Tuscaloosa has helped me to grow into not only a better football player, but more importantly, a better person. These last few years have introduced me to some of the best people, coaches and teammates and those are bonds that I will keep with me for life.”

“After winning the national championship this season, I talked with my family about continuing my career in football. With much thought and consideration, I have decided to enter my name in the transfer portal. Thank you to everyone at Alabama who has brought me to this point and it’s always ‘Roll Tide’ for life.”

Will Ben Davis be able to get the most out of his final year of college football?

Davis was the former No. 10 overall prospect in 2016. According to the 247Sports Composite, he was the No. 1 inside linebacker in his class, as well as the No. 1 player from Alabama. So it came as no surprise when he committed to play for the Crimson Tide in 2016. While he did not see the field very much at Alabama, he was a great teammate and is looking to play in his sixth season.

Davis had 24 formal offers and made five official visits: Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU and Notre Dame. Though playing time may be the No. 1 thing on his radar, Kirby Smart, Ed Orgeron and Brian Kelly are still at Georgia, LSU and Notre Dame, respectively. It will be interesting to see where the former five-star recruit ends up, whether that be at the Power 5 or even the Group of 5 level.

After careful consideration, Davis is making the best decision for himself by opting to transfer.

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