Alabama Adds Former Appalachian State, Tennessee Running Back

Khalifa Keith joins Crimson Tide's deep transfer portal class

Jan. 31, 2026 at 6:15pm

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Alabama has added former Appalachian State running back Khalifa Keith to its 2026 roster through the transfer portal. Keith, an Alabama native, spent two seasons at Tennessee before joining the Mountaineers last year. He will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Crimson Tide.

Why it matters

Alabama's running back room is already stacked, but the addition of Keith provides further depth and competition at the position. As the Crimson Tide look to defend their national title, having multiple capable ball carriers will be crucial.

The details

Keith finished the 2025 season with just 8 yards on 3 carries in 6 games for Appalachian State. Prior to that, he spent two years at Tennessee, where he compiled 21 carries for 400 yards and a touchdown in 4 games in 2024, and 24 yards on 11 carries in 2023. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound back was a three-star recruit out of high school, ranked as the No. 613 prospect in the Class of 2023.

  • Keith initially committed to Kentucky on July 4, 2022, but later changed his mind and went to Tennessee.
  • Keith spent two seasons at Tennessee in 2023 and 2024 before joining Appalachian State in 2025.
  • Alabama officially added Keith to its roster through the transfer portal on January 31, 2026.

The players

Khalifa Keith

A former running back at Appalachian State and Tennessee who has now joined Alabama's roster through the transfer portal.

Kalen DeBoer

The head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team.

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What they’re saying

“I feel we addressed some areas that we either needed going into the portal numbers wise, and I think there's some areas we really strongly upgraded, so I'm excited about that. I'm excited not just about what the skillset of these guys are that are coming in, but also who they are as people and the character. We have some guys who whether they were voted team captain last year or probably we're going to be, I think we got those type of guys in at multiple positions.”

— Kalen DeBoer, Alabama Head Coach

What’s next

Keith will compete for playing time in Alabama's deep running back room, which includes Daniel Hill, AK Dear, Kevin Riley, and incoming freshmen Ezavier Crowell and Traeshawn Brown.

The takeaway

Alabama continues to reload through the transfer portal, adding depth and talent at key positions as they look to defend their national championship. The addition of Keith provides further competition and options in the Crimson Tide's backfield.