After losing multiple cornerbacks to the transfer portal such as DeVonta Smith and Jahlil Hurley , Alabama football started to make up for those losses with a portal addition of its own.
Cameron Calhoun , a Utah redshirt freshman cornerback, will transfer to Alabama football with three seasons left of eligibility.
Calhoun is the fourth player to transfer to Alabama , joining former Cal long snapper David Bird , former Colorado School of Mines punter Blake Doud and Florida defensive end Kelby Collins .
The Crimson Tide will be Calhoun's third team in three years, initially committing to Michigan out of Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati in the 2023 recruiting class. Calhoun then transferred and started for the Utes in 2024.
Calhoun hails from the same high school program that produced Alabama 2025 linebacker signee Justin Hill.
Calhoun was a key piece of Utah's depth defensively in 2024.
The 6-foot, 177-pound cornerback played in 11 games for the Utes. And while Calhoun made only one start, he finished with 21 tackles and nine pass break-ups — fourth-best in the Big 12. He also was one of nine Utah defenders to have an interception.
Three pass break-ups came in Utah's win against Iowa State, tying for the most in single game by a Utes defender since 2022.
According to Pro Football Focus, Calhoun allowed 21 receptions on 43 targets for 244 yards. Two receivers scored touchdowns on Calhoun.
While at Winton Woods High School, Calhoun broke the school record with 14 career interceptions.
Alabama is in need of depth at corner.
After the losses of Smith and Hurley to the transfer portal, Alabama is down to Domani Jackson , Jaylen Mbakwe , Zabien Brown and Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. for the ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Michigan on Dec. 31, with DaShawn Jones and Red Morgan in at the Husky position.
Alabama is set to add two highly-regarded California cornerbacks in the 2025 class in Mater Dei four-star Chuck McDonald and Mission Viejo five-star Dijon Lee, both of whom could be looked to for playing time as true freshmen.
But Calhoun gives Alabama a bit of wiggle room between the two true freshmen as a two-year veteran with three seasons of eligibility, one who has experience as the top bench cornerback.
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: Cameron Calhoun, Utah cornerback, transfers to Alabama football
