Alabama transfer, former 4-star WR Jalen Hale commits to SMU

Alabama transfer wide receiver Jalen Hale has committed to SMU, he told On The Pony Express. Hale spent three seasons with the Crimson Tide, but could have three years of eligibility remaining with the Mustangs.

The 6-1, 197-pound wideout played in five games this season but did not catch a pass during the 2025 campaign. The redshirt sophomore returned to action this offseason after suffering a significant knee injury in the spring of 2024. He received a medical redshirt after missing the entire 2024 season.

“Where he was at a year ago with the injury in the spring of 2024, pretty significant injury at the time,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said before the season. “Between he and our medical staff doing an awesome job of pushing forward, our whole team is proud of him, not just me. We’ve talked about that in the winter, in December we addressed it as a team. Guys being excited about him finally doing something with the team. The spring was the next step, then the summer.

“There’s reps that he hasn’t taken. Reps that other guys have. He’s still learning as we go. Every rep he’s gonna get more and more confident. He’s certainly got a lot of tools and I want to see his growth, I’m excited about that this fall.”

As a freshman in 2023, Hale played in 13 of the Crimson Tide’s 14 games after excelling in fall camp. He caught five passes for 148 yards and one touchdown.

Hale scored the first touchdown of his career against Ole Miss, where he totaled 36 receiving yards on two receptions. He also contributed on special teams as a true freshman during Alabama’s playoff season.

Hale is the second wide receiver transfer for the Mustangs to be added into the fold. Wide receivers coach Rob Likens signed another impressive high school class including multiple blue-chip prospects as well as East Carolina transfer Yannick Smith.

Hale played high school football at Longview (Tex.), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 38 overall player and No. 7 wide receiver in the 2023 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.

The 2025-26 college football transfer portal will last 15 days, spanning from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16, the NCAA decided. While players have just over two weeks  to enter the portal, they’re not under a deadline to commit when they enter. Traditionally, the cut-off for committing has been how late a school can enroll a player through admissions, so it varies throughout the sport.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.