Alabama starting OG Javion Cohen to enter transfer portal
Alabama starting offensive guard Javion Cohen will enter the NCAA transfer portal, according to a late-night tweet from On3’s Hayes Fawcett on Sunday The junior from Phenix City (Ala.) mentioned in his statement to Fawcett that he’ll have two seasons of eligibility left.
Here’s the entire statement from Cohen:
“I want to first thank my heavenly father for all the blessings he has bestowed upon me. Without him I am nothing,” Cohen wrote. “Second, I would like to thank my support system for being there for me throughout everything. You know who you are.
“Lastly, I would like to than Coach Saban, his staff, and the entire University of Alabama for supporting me these past three years. It has been a hell of a ride and I am thankful for the memories and brotherhood I have created ove rmy time here.
“With all that being said, I would like to announce I am entering the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining.”
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Cohen has played in all 12 of Alabama’s games this season with 11 of those being starts. This came after the 6-foot-4, 305-pound offensive lineman starting 14 of a possible 15 games last year. In total, he’s participated in 31 games while being on the field for 1,624 offensive snaps.
So far, eight other Alabama players have entered the transfer portal. That includes defensive lineman Braylen Ingraham, punter Jack Martin, running back Trey Sanders, defensive back Khyree Jackson, offensive linemen Damieon George and Tanner Bowles and wide receivers Christian Leary and Traeshon Holden.
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Cohen might be the most surprising departure of the bunch, however.
In fact, a lot of fans are probably left wondering what led to this decision. This guy was once considered UA’s most promising draft-eligible offensive linemen. There had been struggles with mental health during the offseason, but that didn’t prevent him from returning to the starting lineup in Week 1 against Utah State.
With Cohen and Emil Ekiyor Jr. gone, it’s a good thing Alabama got freshman Tyler Booker onto the field.
The former five-star recruit didn’t start any games, but he play 376 snaps while rotating at both left and right guard. For the most part, there was balance in that rotation. But Booker did see a higher percentage (55.1%) of his snaps on the left side with the other 44.9% coming at right guard.
This decision could also lead to more opportunities for former top-75 recruit Terrence Ferguson, who has been on campus for almost two seasons now. This is a guy the coaching staff is excited about, but he only has 56 career snaps. The spring should be filled with several key position battles.
Other Alabama transfer portal articles
DL Braylen Ingraham | P Jack Martin | RB Trey Sanders
