Alabama transfer DB Antonio Kite commits to Auburn

Alabama transfer defensive back Antonio Kite has committed to Auburn, the program announced via social media. He was among the group of Crimson Tide players to enter the transfer portal following Nick Saban’s retirement last week.

Kite played mostly on special teams for Alabama in 2023, appearing in seven games as a redshirt freshman. He played in just two games as a true freshman in 2022.

Antonio Kite played high school football at Anniston (AL) High School, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 161 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Alabama has seen a flurry of players enter the portal after Saban decided to retire. All told, 24 Crimson Tide players have hit the portal so far this cycle — and more are still to come. SEC Freshman of the Year Caleb Downs is planning to enter, as On3’s Pete Nakos reported, and standout offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor is also expected to transfer. That means new coach Kalen DeBoer is going to have to fill some big holes as he rounds out the roster.

It’s a new world for Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

DeBoer’s staff is coming together, though. Some assistants are coming with him from Washington, most notably offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. Remember, Saban targeted Grubb to run the offense a year ago before he decided to stay at Washington, helping the Huskies to a national championship appearance.

The biggest moves for DeBoer wound up coming on defense, though. Current South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack is set to come in as defensive coordinator, while Buffalo head coach Maurice Linguist is “expected” to take over as a defensive assistant — most likely in the secondary, ESPN’s Chris Low reported.

It’s all part of DeBoer’s plan to put together a complete staff, which he said would be a mixture of his background from UW and necessary SEC experience.

“Certainly have a strong feeling of what I’d like to do. … There will be a touch of Washington in there, but I understand there needs to be some SEC ties, some southeast ties that can help bridge the gap,” DeBoer said, via BOL’s Charlie Potter.

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne confirmed he and DeBoer had conversations about the staff, but he’ll ultimately leave it up to the coach. He also didn’t rule out keeping some of the current staffers in place, although again, it’s DeBoer’s call.

“If I don’t have the confidence in the head coach to manage their staff then I’ve got the wrong head coach, right?” Byrne said.