The mass exodus at Alabama continues following the retirement of Nick Saban.
All-American safety Caleb Downs entered the transfer portal on Wednesday and is expected to be heavily pursued by Georgia and Ohio State, but there’s another portal entry that is worth monitoring for the Buckeyes.
Offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor also announced he plans to enter the portal on Wednesday after starting all 14 games at left tackle for Alabama as a true freshman in 2023. The 6-foot-7, 360-pound prospect turned in a modest Pro Football Focus grade of 66.3 for the year, grading out 67.2 as a run blocker and 58.8 as a pass blocker.
BREAKING: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 17, 2024
The 68 365 OT started every game for Alabama as a True Freshman
Received Freshman All-American & 1st Team Freshman All-SEC Honors
Was ranked as the No. 1 OT in the 23 Class pic.twitter.com/9TqMgb5lAM
It’s very rare for a true freshman offensive tackle to start at a program the caliber of Alabama. Proctor improved as the year went on and eventually showcased why he was a five-star prospect and the No. 1 ranked offensive tackle in the 2023 recruiting class.
Shortly after his decision, a flurry of predictions from analysts nationwide came in for Proctor to transfer to Iowa, which is nearly two hours away from his hometown of Des Moines. The Hawkeyes will undoubtedly be a strong contender for Proctor, but per a source, Ohio State is also expected to pursue him heavily once he officially enters the portal.
Ohio State has already added one offensive lineman from Alabama in center Seth McLaughlin this offseason, and it remains to be seen if the Buckeyes can add a second.
Ohio State offers 2025 safety James Johnson
New Ohio State safeties coach Matt Guerrieri has hit the ground running on the recruiting trail. On Tuesday, Guerrieri offered Georgia 2025 safety James Johnson, the first safety prospect offered by the new assistant in his brief tenure as a full-time coach in Columbus.
Isaiah 40:29-31. ...
— James Johnson (@JamesJohnsonDc) January 16, 2024
Extremely Blessed To Receive An ffer From Ohio State University @MattGuerrieri !! @DCAthletics1 @CoachJTW @Coach_Ken_Quinn @routeking_1 @On3Recruits @JeremyO_Johnson @BHoward_11 @RecruitGeorgia @ChadSimmons_ @RivalsJohnson @247Sports pic.twitter.com/fPWAlRhMmu
Johnson doesn’t hold a 247Sports composite ranking as of yet, but he has collected over 26 Division I offers, including Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Florida State, Georgia, Liberty, Memphis, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, UCF, Washington and West Virginia.
The 6-foot, 175-pound Johnson is a two-way player for Douglas County High School (Douglasville, Georgia) and has several offers to play wide receiver. Last season, he recorded 68 tackles (3 for loss), seven pass deflections, a fumble recovery and an interception. Offensively, he caught 40 passes for 770 yards with eight touchdowns, while rushing for 497 yards on 41 carries with 18 rushing touchdowns. He even threw for three passing touchdowns, completing five of seven passes for 227 yards.
2025 Offensive tackle Lamont Rogers earns an offer to Ohio State
Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye extended an offer to one of the highest-ranked offensive tackles in the 2025 class on Wednesday. Four-star Texas prospect Lamont Rogers was the recipient of the offer and is considered the 51st-rated prospect and seventh-best offensive tackle in the 2025 class.
Blessed and honored to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University #GoBucks @CoachJFrye @CoachAllenHC @CoachFields94 @KoachMak @tajakaha pic.twitter.com/9zo6zn1Qun
— Lamont Rogers (@TheLamontRogers) January 17, 2024
The 6-foot-6, 305-pound Rogers has earned nearly 30 Division I offers, including Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC and Washington.
Buckeyes offer 2025 linebacker Gavin Nix
Ohio State also offered a talented linebacker in the 2025 class on Wednesday, offering four-star Florida product Gavin Nix.
The 6-foot, 220-pound Nix is considered the 193rd-ranked prospect and the 24th-best linebacker in the 2025 cycle. He’s picked up more than 20 Division I offers, including Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Duke, Florida State, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.
Last season, Nix made 42 tackles, seven tackles for loss, one sack and five quarterback hurries.
Mason Short decommits from Alabama
The hits keep coming for Alabama. A handful of the Crimson Tide’s 2025 commits have decommitted since the news of Nick Saban’s hiring, including five-star prospects Jaime Ffrench and Zion Grady. On Tuesday, four-star 2025 offensive lineman Mason Short decommitted from Alabama, a few hours after he was visited by Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye.
— Mason Short (@MasonShort_) January 16, 2024
Short is considered the 160th-ranked prospect and the eighth-best interior offensive lineman in the 2025 class and had visited Columbus several times before eventually committing to the Crimson Tide. Ohio State, Georgia and a few others will be in heavy pursuit of the 6-foot-6, 305-pound offensive lineman now that his recruitment has re-opened.
