Alabama, coach Kalen DeBoer add Washington transfer center Parker Brailsford

Alabama football received its second transfer portal commitment under new coach Kalen DeBoer late Saturday night when Washington center Parker Brailsford announced on his Instagram account he was committing to the Crimson Tide.

Brailsford started all 15 games during his redshirt freshman season in 2023 for a Washington offensive line that took home the Joe Moore Award, which is given to the nation’s best OL unit. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound lineman started 12 games at center and three at right guard. He is expected to play center at Alabama following the departures of starter Seth McLaughlin (transferred to Ohio State), backup Darrian Dalcourt (graduation) and potential starter Terrence Ferguson II (transferred to Florida State). Brailsford will have three years of eligibility remaining.

A Mesa, Ariz., native, Brailsford earned second-team All-Pac 12 honors and was named a freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and the American Football Coaches Association — two of the five designated entities that determine consensus and unanimous All-American status, according to the NCAA.

According to Pro Football Focus, Brailsford allowed just one sack in 612 pass-block snaps in 2023. He finished the season with an 82.6 pass-blocking grade, an 80.8 run-blocking grade and is the highest-graded returning center in college football in 2024 (81.4 overall grade).

The exterior of Alabama’s offensive line is one of the team’s biggest question marks, but the interior of the line with Brailsford, Tyler Booker and Jaeden Roberts is in contention for one of the best guard-center-guard trios in all of college football.

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Brailsford adds immediate stability at the center position, one of the most inconsistent spots on the team last season, and experience to an offensive line that returns only two players (Booker and Roberts) with starting experience. As it stands, Alabama’s offensive line has three juniors in Booker, Roberts and James Brockermeyer, two sophomores in Brailsford and Elijah Pritchett and eight freshmen — five redshirts (Olaus Alinen, Wilkin Formby, Miles McVay, Roq Montgomery, Naquil Bertrand) and three true freshmen (Joseph Ionata, Casey Poe, William Sanders).

With one position solidified on the offensive line, the focus shifts toward the competition at left and right tackle, where there are vacancies to fill. Alabama will likely seek more experience at those spots during the spring portal window (which opens April 15). In the meantime, there’s a big opportunity for the young players in the room to make an impression on coaches during spring practice to solidify a place in the position battle entering summer workouts and fall camp.

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(Photo: Daniel Dunn / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)