JC Latham tells why he feels transferring from Alabama was not a good idea for ’95 percent’ of those who did

Nov 4, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman JC Latham (65) stretches on the field before a game against the LSU Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

Former Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham recently joined the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast and was asked whether or not he thought some of his former Alabama teammates made the correct decision to transfer from the program.

Latham did not mince words when giving his response.

“Honestly, like probably 95 percent of those guys, it wasn’t a good idea,” Latham said. “You really don’t hear about them. Like the guys at Bama that were kind of coming up, who were kind of doing their thing, the guys who left, you really don’t hear.”

Latham is referring to the mass exodus of players who transferred elsewhere during his time at Alabama. In Latham’s three years at Alabama, over 50 players entered the transfer portal.

The former five-star felt like the vast majority of his former teammates did not attract the attention elsewhere that they would have had they chosen to stay at Alabama.

“The only guy who I can think of and I’m probably forgetting a couple more, Caleb Downs, He’s a guy who left, but his situation was a little bit unique, because Saban retired and the defensive coordinator left,” said Latham. “He wasn’t going to let somebody kind of experiment on him like that. He knew his worth. Trey Amos. He just got drafted by the Commanders. He left to go to Ole Miss. Outside of those two guys, it was really hard for the traction of your name to be able to perform at Alabama to get that attention somewhere else. You really don’t get that type of light.”

Downs and Amos were two players who entered the transfer portal following Nick Saban’s retirement. Downs transferred to Ohio State and was a Unanimous All-American as a sophomore. He is widely regarded as one of the top prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. Amos spent last season at Ole Miss. He ranked second in the SEC in pass deflections (13) and started 13 games for the Rebels at the cornerback position. He was drafted in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Commanders.

Latham’s comments come at a time when players are attracting more offers and opportunities from NIL than ever before.

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Brody Smoot is a team reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on X, via @brodysmoot.