Report: Alabama DT Jehiem Oatis to Visit Deion Sanders, Colorado amid Transfer Portal
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is reportedly set to host one of the best players in the transfer portal for a visit.
Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, former Alabama defensive tackle Jehiem Oatis is in Boulder on Monday to visit with Sanders and the Buffaloes. Thamel ranks him as the No. 1 defensive player in the transfer portal.
In October, Oatis opted to redshirt the 2024 season and enter the transfer portal at the end of the year. After starting 13 games over his first two years with the Crimson Tide, his playing time decreased significantly under new head coach Kalen DeBoer, and he cited that as a reason for his decision to transfer.
"Getting the reps and looks that I'm getting, I feel like it's better for me to move on somewhere new," Oatis told Thamel at the time.
Oatis underwent three offseason surgeries on his shoulder, knee and ankle, but he's been healthy since the end of training camp. Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said during a news conference in October that injuries had hindered Oatis and he had "not been able to perform or produce the way that any of us would like."
Oatis was a 4-star recruit and the No. 12 defensive lineman in the class of 2022 in 247Sports' composite. He has career numbers of 57 total tackles, five passes defended and 1.5 sacks.
Colorado is set to look different next year with the impending departures of quarterback Shedeur Sanders and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Coach Prime will surely be looking to add star power through the transfer portal, so Oatis would be an instant impact player if he lands with the Buffaloes.
