Alabama coach Nick Saban denied having tampered with wide receiver Tyler Harrell before entering the transfer portal.
Harrell moved from Louisville to Alabama in April.
Louisville coach Scott Sutterfield told Chris Hummer of 247 Sports that he felt he had tampered with Harrell before deciding to enter the transfer portal.
“I think it’s not just him, it’s happened here before,” Sutterfield said. “Last year we had some people who jumped on the portal and the next day they are announcing where they are going. You can see it and find out something has happened before they come to the portal.”
High-profile transfers are at an all-time high, mainly due to the combination of NIL money and NCAA allowing one-time transfers without losing eligibility. This created a perfect storm where star players could place themselves in the portal and inevitably purchase their services.
While many coaches have lamented the Wild West mentality in the new system, players are finally getting a piece of the pie after being shut down from a multi-billion dollar business for decades.
Harrell, one of the fastest players in college football, posted a 4.24-second 40-yard-dash time at the Louisville Pro Day last year. He will join the Alabama Passing Game which has made the Speedsters stars in recent years, although Harrell has produced at least two seasons in Louisville. The native of Miami has recorded only 20 career receptions, but they have gone for 559 yards and six touchdowns.
The scope of Alabama’s football program and its history of producing NFL players dwarfed Louisville; Crimson Tide’s national prominence will help Harrell market itself for the NIL deal.
Although unaffected, Harrell’s reasoning for moving from Louisville to Alabama is clear.
