Much of the college football world is still unclear about the talent level of the 2024 Alabama Crimson Tide team. Alabama football fans already see what many others don’t. The Crimson Tide are more talented in 2024 than they were in 2023.

Proof of the above claim can only be provided over the course of an entire season. But with each passing week, it becomes more and more obvious that Alabama’s 2024 squad is unmatched.

In January, the story was completely different. The transfer exodus that began in January and continued throughout the spring resulted in 39 Alabama players (scholarship and walk-on) entering the transfer portal. Almost all of them were snatched up by other teams. The biggest beneficiaries of Nick Saban’s signing of former players were Florida State, Ohio State and Texas.

The Crimson Tide have lost some outstanding talent. The biggest loss was Caleb Downs to Ohio State, followed by Iasiah Bond and Amari Niblack to Texas and 5-star quarterback Julian Sayin to Ohio State, who signed for 2024.

Adding to the large number of departures were 11 players from Alabama who continued to pursue their NFL dreams. Kalen DeBoer began with a roster that had been cut nearly in half. First, DeBoer and his team did an excellent job of re-recruiting Alabama’s 2024 signing class, which was ranked No. 2 nationally. DeBoer also brought in 14,000 scholarship players, many of whom were immediately viewed as reinforcements for their position group.

Alabama is currently in the early stages of developing its 2024 roster. So many key players have either limited or no experience as college starters (the true freshmen) that Alabama will be a better team in November and beyond than it was in September.

More good news is that Alabama fans don’t have to wait until the second half of the season to celebrate the roster. After just one game into the 2024 season, you can make a bold claim. Alabama won’t miss Caleb Downs and Isaiah Bond. In Game 1 against Western Kentucky, Michigan transfer Keon Sabb showed he’s a match for Caleb Downs. And every Alabama fan already knows Ryan Williams is better than Isaiah Bond. Bond scored four touchdowns for the Crimson Tide last season. Super freshman Ryan Williams already has two with just two catches. Bond caught passes in 22 Alabama football games and never reached 100 receiving yards in a game. Williams’ two catches against WKU yielded 139 yards. The 17-year-old can become one of the best college football players this season.

In addition to Williams, Alabama is well-positioned at the receiver position, including Washington transfer Germie Bernard, Kendrick Law, Kobe Prentice, Cole Adams, Emmanuel Henderson and others.

Along with Malachi Moore, Keon Sabb, transfer Domani Jackson and others, including three 5-star freshmen, the Tide’s secondary can become a strength of the team.

Nothing can be taken for granted. Major injuries during the season could dampen that optimism, but rest assured: The Alabama Crimson Tide have a championship-caliber roster. In several areas, it’s better than last season.

Note: Player statistics provided by Sports Reference and player transfer details provided by 247Sports