Jalen Milroe is coming back for more in 2024 after getting off the canvas and somehow getting Alabama so close to the mountaintop.

Star linebacker in waiting Deontae Lawson will be back, too.

So will safety stalwart Malachi Moore.

Caleb Downs was primed to take over Tuscaloosa and the SEC before following Nick Saban out the door.

But Justice Haynes is ready to take over the Bama backfield with Jase McClellan going pro and Roydell Williams transferring to Florida State.

There’s still plenty of talent staying put in T-Town to help overcome the slew of talent that’s bolting for greener pastures.

But there were holes on this flawed roster even as the Tide somehow clawed within 2 wins of a national title in 2023, and that was before the brigade of departures that both preceded and came after Saban’s shocking retirement. So Kalen DeBoer’s task in Year 1 is insanely arduous, as he follows arguably the greatest coach in college football history, in an area of the country he’s not familiar with, with a fan base that is as demanding as any in the sport or all of sports.

For DeBoer to stay in front of the heightened mass exodus as the offseason gets going, he’ll need strong production from the freshmen still coming to Bama despite Saban’s exit and from the transfer portal, including the talent that’s following him from Washington. Which newcomers, as we sit here in late January with everything still in flux, will be most important to the Tide in avoiding a post-Saban downturn in 2024?

Here’s a list of 5 players arriving in T-Town from parts unknown who must make a big impact for Alabama this fall:

1. Parker Brailsford, center

Despite all his shortcomings, despite every last bad snap in the Playoff loss to Michigan right down to the very last botched play, center Seth McLaughlin was an iron man of sorts in 2022 and 2023, starting 22 games. He was a part of the Alabama machine for 4 seasons. Then McLaughlin transferred to Ohio State even before Saban retired. There was a huge hole at one of the most important positions on the field, and what exactly could DeBoer do about it?

Well, how about getting Brailsford, his former center at Washington, to follow him down to T-Town? This is huge in January, and it could be colossal come fall. Brailsford was the Huskies’ starting center for most of the 2023 season, playing a few games at guard and helping Washington capture the Joe Moore Award that’s given to the top offensive line in the country. True, Brailsford has never snapped the ball with a snarling SEC defense waiting to devour him. But he’s a proven elite lineman who’s been a major part of an elite line that allowed Washington’s offense to be so prolific in 2023.

Assuming he takes over at center for Alabama, Brailsford could do for Milroe in 2024 what he did for Heisman Trophy runner-up Michael Penix Jr. last fall. And as a bonus, he’ll be playing for Scott Huff, his line coach at Washington who’s also followed DeBoer from Seattle, so the transition could very well be seamless, which would mean the world for Bama as it tries to survive a hellacious amount of change in the first post-Saban offseason.

2. Germie Bernard, wide receiver

Like Brailsford, Bernard is leaving the Pacific Northwest and sticking with DeBoer. Like Brailsford, Bernard plays a position where the Tide need serious help in 2024. And like Brailsford, Bernard will have the luxury of playing for the same position coach, with JaMarcus Shephard also following DeBoer from Washington to be part of his first staff in Tuscaloosa. The Tide’s receivers room in 2023 was already average, and that was before Jermaine Burton went pro and Isaiah Bond transferred to Texas.

As inconsistent as they were, Burton and Bond were Bama’s top receivers last season, so Bernard has a real opportunity to make an immediate impact as Milroe’s new go-to guy on the outside. Bernard put up decent numbers last fall despite playing in a stacked receivers room at Washington, catching 34 passes for 419 yards, and he showed his versatility with 233 return yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. Bernard will be reunited with Shephard and Ryan Grubb, his offensive coordinator at Washington who also followed DeBoer to T-Town, he won’t be buried on the depth chart like he was in Seattle, and he’ll still be catching passes from a Heisman candidate as he transitions from Penix to Milroe.

It all adds up to Bernard having the chance to have a monster breakout season in 2024 for a program desperate for one from a wide receiver.

3. Domani Jackson, cornerback

Gone to the NFL Draft are 2023 starting cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry, gone to Ole Miss is cornerback Trey Amos, and gone to Ohio State is safety Caleb Downs, who turned in one of the best freshman seasons in Alabama history last fall. That’s a ton of talent and leadership from the secondary to waive goodbye to in an offseason when you’re transitioning from a coaching legend. So Jackson’s arrival from USC will be welcomed with open arms and the high hopes that he can step right in and have a gigantic impact. The former 5-star stud out of Southern California powerhouse Mater Dei High School started 11 games for the Trojans last fall after playing mostly on special teams as a freshman in 2022.

Jackson almost ended up in Tuscaloosa to start his collegiate career, making an official visit in the fall of 2021 before opting to stay close to home. Three years later, he’ll be wearing crimson and white. Jackson made the decision to come to Bama in the days leading up to the Rose Bowl Playoff semifinal, so he wasn’t swayed by the crushing loss to Michigan nor by Saban’s decision to retire 10 days later. Jackson was a track star in high school and he has the size (6-1, 190 pounds) to make the transition to the SEC. Barring something unforeseen this offseason, Jackson should have one of the Tide’s two open starting cornerback spots locked down by fall camp, or sooner.

His ability to adjust to a new coaching staff, a new area of the country and SEC-caliber receivers will be crucial for Bama come fall.

4. LT Overton, defensive lineman

While Michigan was piling up 6 sacks in the Playoff classic at the Rose Bowl — and didn’t it seem like more than that? — Alabama only managed 1 all night on JJ McCarthy. The disparity was so noticeable, so crucial to the outcome of the game and so unacceptable for a Saban-led Tide team. By the way, that 1 sack was by Dallas Turner, who is bound for the NFL, and if Bama wants to stay elite as it transitions to DeBoer, it has to get home more in 2024. This is where a guy like Overton can have a huge impact as he transfers from Texas A&M with 2 years left of eligibility.

Overton didn’t live up to his 5-star rating in College Station, but maybe the change of scenery will help him reach his potential. Overton announced his decision to transfer on Dec. 19, well before the Playoff game and Saban’s retirement. He could see the not-so-distant reality that had Bama in serious need of pass rushers this fall. The Tide’s top 3 finishers in sacks last season are gone, with Chris Braswell and Justin Eboigbe joining Turner in going pro, so there is a huge opportunity for Overton to make an immediate impact as Kane Wommack takes over the defense in Tuscaloosa.

Overton needed Bama and Bama needs Overton. Sounds like a potentially great match.

5. Caleb Odom, tight end

One of the Tide’s fatal flaws last season was not getting enough production from their tight ends. Yes, Maryland transfer CJ Dippre was mostly used as a blocking tight end last fall, but 11 catches for 187 yards still wasn’t nearly enough. Dippre will be reunited with Milroe in 2024, so maybe he makes a big jump but nobody should hold their breath. Then when Amari Niblack decided to transfer to Texas after Saban retired it made a position of need that much more glaring. It’s a perfect time for a fresh start at tight end in Tuscaloosa, and that’s where Odom, a 4-star recruit from Georgia powerhouse Carrollton High School, comes in.

Odom is a huge target at 6-6, 220 pounds, and he has the potential to be one of the best freshman tight ends in the nation this fall. As a bonus, he’ll debut the same season as Grubb’s dynamic passing offense, so although he missed out on playing for Saban, maybe his timing will be perfect anyway. With Niblack gone to one of Bama’s newest SEC rivals, Odom should get a lot more opportunities to make an instant impact. Odom was a big-time red zone threat in high school, and that’s exactly what Milroe needs to make things easier for himself and the entire offense this fall.