5 Washington players who can follow Kalen DeBoer to Alabama

The Alabama Crimson Tide locked in Washington's Kalen DeBoer as the successor to Nick Saban on Friday. DeBoer now begins the toughest challenge in college football: Filling the shoes of a legend.

The dawn of the transfer portal could give DeBoer the chance to bring some of his own players from Washington to Tuscaloosa to get a head start in putting his stamp on the Tide.

Unfortunately, some of the key figures from the Huskies' playoff run are heading for the NFL, including running back Dillon Johnson, left tackle Troy Fautanu and edge rusher Bralen Trice.

Who else could DeBoer bring along for the ride?

Germie Bernard and Jeremiah Hunter

Alabama is losing Jermaine Burton to the NFL Draft and Isaiah Bond may be on his way out as well via the transfer portal. That's the two leading receivers for the Crimson Tide in 2023. And one of the top options to replace them, five-star receiver Ryan Williams, backed off his commitment after Saban's retirement.

So the Crimson Tide need pass catchers.

There are already a handful of players on the roster who would love to step into starring roles from Kendrick Law to Kobe Prentice. But DeBoer can bring a couple names along from the Pacific Northwest to fill the gaps.

No, there's no chance for Alabama to pick up Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk or Jalen McMillan. They've all declared for the NFL Draft. Instead, the Tide could look to Germie Bernard, the Michigan State transfer who had 419 yards in his first season with the Huskies. That's solid production for someone with a trio of future NFL receivers eating ahead of him.

There's another option in snagging the transfer of Cal's Jeremiah Hunter, who just joined the Huskies via the transfer portal. Unlimited transfers could allow him to make a quick flip into Crimson.