It was not all Seth McLaughlin’s fault that Alabama lost the Rose Bowl to Michigan on Monday. But he was certainly in the middle—quite literally—of the biggest problem that the Crimson Tide had, as the team’s offensive line simply could not contain the Wolverines’ defensive front. Whether by his choice or by mutual decision, word came out on Wednesday that McLaughlin would not be finishing his career with Nick Saban and Alabama football, and would enter the transfer portal.
It is normally a blow to a program to lose an experienced senior with two years of eligibility. That is what McLaughlin was set to be in 2024—he had already graduated (summa cum laude, with a 4.0 GPA) and achieved his master’s degree in hospitality management. But Alabama is also set to lose Terrence Ferguson II, who could be a logical replacement for McLaughin, to the transfer portal as well.
It could be argued that losing McLaughlin is not much of a blow, not after what we saw in the Rose Bowl. McLaughlin and quarterback Jalen Milroe struggled to connect on several snaps against Michigan, causing an offense already facing a difficult challenge even further trouble.It didn’t help that Milroe was sacked six times. Milroe addressed the snap troubles after the game.
