The Extra Point: Has Alabama Football Already Conquered the Transfer Portal?

The Crimson Tide have added several elite transfers to this year's team and there could be more on the way.

Nick Saban tried to warn everyone.

Ever since its inception, the transfer portal has been a hot topic in the world of college sports. The portal has allowed college athletes to essentially become free agents on a year-to-year basis without penalty and play for whatever school they believe fits them best.

While this certainly may be a positive thing for athletes, the portal has allowed the elite college programs to improve their rosters even further and fill holes on their respective teams without having to develop the players they recruited. While it can be debated whether this development is good or bad, it's one that Nick Saban saw coming.

"So, is that going to make the rich get richer?" Saban asked shortly after the beginning of the transfer portal. "I don't know, you can decide that."

For the Alabama football team, it certainly seems like that has been the case. 

Already this offseason, Alabama has added four high-level transfers in Jermaine Burton, Eli Ricks, Jahmyr Gibbs, and just this week, Tyler Steen. All four athletes transferred from Power Five schools and were some of the best players on their former teams.

While Alabama has no problem recruiting elite talent, the transfer portal has allowed Saban to handpick talented players that have already proven themselves at the college level and plug them into holes on his already national championship level roster.

All four of the transfers mentioned above figure to play a key role for the Crimson Tide in the upcoming season and it has been rumored there could be more on the way after spring practice ends.

One thing is for certain; as long as Alabama continues its dominance, players will want to be a part of that success and the transfer portal will continue to be an advantage for the Crimson Tide.

The rich are only going to get richer. 

Check out the video at the top of the page where BamaCentral's Clay Miller and Christopher Walsh discuss Alabama football's transfer portal additions.

The Extra Point: Has Alabama Football Already Conquered the Transfer Portal?

Alabama Athletics

Jermaine Burton

Alabama Athletics

Eli Ricks

Photo | Eli Ricks' Twitter account, @eliasricks

Jahmyr Gibbs

Alabama Athletics

Tyler Steen

Photo | George Walker IV / Tennessean.com, Nashville Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC