Alabama safety Jake Pope entered the NCAA transfer portal on Sunday, a source confirmed to 247 Sports’ Chris Hummer.
He is the 16th Alabama player to enter the portal since it opened for undergraduates in early December. The portal closed for undergraduates five days after Alabama’s Rose Bowl loss last Monday.
Pope did not play and redshirted as a freshman in 2022 before appearing in 12 games this season, mostly on special teams. He also saw late-game action as a safety in some contests. Pope was a four-star prospect in the 2022 class from Buford, Georgia who was rated as the 30th-best safety nationally by 247 Sports.
Alabama will need to replace one of its starting safeties this offseason because Jaylen Key, a transfer last offseason from UAB, played his sixth and final season of eligibility in 2023. Two of the candidates to fill that job in 2024, Pope and senior Kristian Story, have both entered the portal. That leaves DeVonta Smith — who was limited to four games in 2023 and will likely become a redshirt junior in 2024 — as the top candidate to replace Key, unless expected fifth-year returnee Malachi Moore moves from STAR back to safety.
Freshman Caleb Downs is entrenched in the other starting spot. Alabama will return second-year safety Bray Hubbard and signed four safeties in its 2024 freshman class: Peyton Woodyard, Rydarrius “Red” Morgan, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. and, most recently on Saturday, Zay Mincey.
Alabama 2024 transfer portal, NFL draft tracker: What’s next for Tide after Rose Bowl loss?
Here’s the full list of Alabama players that have entered the transfer portal since it opened on Dec. 4. Those who have announced new schools are marked:
- QB Tyler Buchner — Notre Dame (Lacrosse)
- WR Ja’Corey Brooks — Louisville
- DL Anquin Barnes — Colorado
- OL Seth McLaughlin — Ohio State
- DB Earl Little Jr. — Florida State
- QB Eli Holstein — Pittsburgh
- RB Roydell Williams
- WR Shazz Preston
- WR Malik Benson
- TE Miles Kitselman
- OL Terrence Ferguson
- DL Isaiah Hastings
- DL Monkell Goodwine
- LB Ian Jackson
- DB Kristian Story
- S Jake Pope
