Wide receiver is one of the positions the Roll Tide thinks about twice, especially after what happened with Ryan Williams and the corps’ issues with dropping the football. To make sure no stone’s left unturned, Kalen DeBoer went out and brought in an insurance transfer portal hire at the very last minute.
On February 14, wide receiver Tyler Henderson officially committed to Bama. He chose the Tide over schools like Washington State and Kennesaw State.
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What makes this move even more interesting is that Henderson was actually signed by Kennesaw State back in December, but DeBoer managed to reel him in just as the 2026 roster was being finalized.
If you are not familiar, Henderson is a massive star from the junior college (JUCO) ranks. Playing for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, he absolutely torched defenses last year. He led the country in receiving yards with 1,299 and hauled in 12 touchdowns on 67 catches. Last season, he had 6 games of 100+ yards. The word is that he’s got legitimate track speed (reportedly running a 4.38 40-yard dash).
Standing at 6’1″ and weighing about 175 pounds, Henderson has a lean, athletic build that allows him to fly past cornerbacks. He grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he was a bit of a hidden gem in high school, but after two years of dominating JUCO ball, he became one of the most sought-after prospects in the nation with over 35 offers.
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This move is perfect timing for Alabama because they need to keep their receiving room stacked. Henderson will join a dangerous group that already includes young stars like Ryan Williams and Lotzeir Brooks. With some veteran players likely heading to the NFL Draft, having a guy who can immediately step in and catch deep balls is going to make the transition much smoother for whoever is playing quarterback in 2026.
Nonetheless, if Bama fails, guys down there at The Athletic already predicted Kalen DeBoer’s fate.
The Athletics’ fate for Kalen DeBoer
In a wild set of “way-too-early” predictions for the 2026 season, Stewart Mandel of The Athletic has stirred the pot by suggesting that Kalen DeBoer could be out as Alabama’s head coach by next fall. Mandel’s hypothetical scenario has Bama firing DeBoer just eight games into the 2026 season. This prediction follows a 2025 campaign that many fans found disappointing, especially after the Crimson Tide took a tough loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl.
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The most shocking part of Mandel’s forecast is who he thinks would take over: Lane Kiffin.
“Lane Kiffin leaves LSU after nine games for Alabama, which fires Kalen DeBoer after eight games,” Mandel wrote. “DeBoer then goes to Clemson to take over for Dabo Swinney after he gets too distraught over tampering to continue.”
The idea of him jumping ship again so quickly is definitely a “bold” take, even by college football standards. That would be quite a scenario if it happened. Mandel didn’t stop there with the coaching carousel drama. He also predicted that after getting fired, Kalen DeBoer would head over to Clemson to replace Dabo Swinney. In this imaginary timeline, Swinney supposedly steps down because he’s fed up with the chaos of the transfer portal and tampering.
Keep in mind, these are just fun, speculative predictions from a mailbag article and not official news. In reality, DeBoer has been vocal about his loyalty to Alabama, and Kiffin is busy getting settled in Baton Rouge for his first spring practices with the Tigers.
