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The Tuscaloosa News
Why Brody Dalton's Alabama football transfer means more than just Crimson Tide TE help
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- Why Brody Dalton's Alabama football transfer means more than just Crimson Tide TE help
Paul Benefield admits he's biased, as Brody Dalton's former football coach at Fyffe High School. But Alabama football's newest tight end transfer should have been at a program like the Crimson Tide all along.
In the 2021 recruiting class, Dalton was a 6-foot-4, 225-pound tight end playing low-level Alabama high school football. Dalton was a two-star prospect per 247Sports' composite rankings, ranked as the No. 2,275 player in the class, the No. 121 tight end nationally and the No. 100 player in the state.
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After four years split between UAB and Troy , Dalton, now at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, is finally at the level Benefield always thought he could play at, joining Alabama as a tight end transfer ahead of Dalton's final season of eligibility.
"It just means so much to our community," Benefield said. "We love football up here. A lot of people will be watching, I know. It's one of those things. We all want to say I told you so that this guy can play."
Fyffe's Brody Dalton (43) jumps to catch a pass and is defended by Montgomery Catholic's Kylon Griffin (3). Fyffe High School defeated Montgomery Catholic to win the AHSAA 3A championship on Dec. 3, 2020 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. [Photo/Hannah Saad]
And Benefield knows exactly the role Dalton will fill at Alabama. It's the role Dalton filled at Fyffe, a program that "needed him to block more" than catch the football, even with a touchdown catch for the Red Devils in the 2020 3A state final against Montgomery Catholic on his record.
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According to Pro Football Focus, 69.5% of Dalton's 901 career snaps across four seasons were as a blocker. In 2024 for the Trojans, 378 of Dalton's 548 snaps were as an inline tight end, while 104 were in the backfield.
"He's an unselfish player that don't mind blocking," Benefield said. "That's the kind of kid he is. Just wants to compete."
It's the role Alabama needed filled after a spring practice slate where the Crimson Tide had only one scholarship tight end available in Jay Lindsey. Marshall Pritchett, Danny Lewis and Josh Cuevas were each out with injuries, while Kaleb Edwards finished his senior year at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, California .
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On April 23, Alabama also added West Virginia tight end Jack Sammarco , a former Cincinnati three-star who has three seasons left of eligibility, through the transfer portal.
As a receiver, Dalton had the second-most touchdowns for Troy in 2024 with three, finishing the season with 15 catches for 188 yards, each of which were career highs by a large margin.
Benefield knows what Dalton can bring better than anyone, not only as his former coach, but as family, with Dalton's father and Benefield's wife being first cousins. Benefield also knows what is ahead for Dalton: a lot of work, a lot of learning and a lot of growing.
But Benefield also knows the weight of community behind Dalton, too.
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"Everybody says, 'A boy from Fyffe can't make it,'" Benefield said. "Well, we got one that's there now. And we're real proud of him and everybody will be pulling for him. Even the Auburn people at Fyffe will be pulling for him."
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Brody Dalton's Alabama football transfer means more than just TE help
