He’s coached in the College Football National Championship, yet some would still argue that Kalen DeBoer has never been under more pressure than he has been this offseason. That’s just what bearing the crimson and white entails.
In his first two seasons as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, DeBoer has failed to live up to the highest of standards as the successor of Nick Saban, the greatest coach of all time. So as the newest era of college football revolves around the transfer portal, the world clamored in anticipation, asking who his big acquisition would be. His answer?
A Cypress Woods alumni.
Terrance Green, who graduated from Woods in 2023, is rated as the best player in Alabama’s transfer portal class and will be suiting up for their football team next season.
After three seasons playing for the Oregon Ducks, Green decided to move on, entering his name into the transfer portal; according to 247 Sports, he was the 29th-best player and fourth-best defensive lineman in the portal. Immediately, the college football world took notice.
“As soon as I did that, there were coaches from Instagram, coaches from Twitter, and coaches that got my number just blowing me up,” Green said. “Once you’re officially in the portal, you can take visits and talk, but they were mainly talking through my agent. The transfer portal is crazy.”
After mulling offers, Green went down to Alabama within just a few days of entering the portal. The choice was clear.
“I took a visit there to see the facilities and all of the first round picks, especially defensive linemen, to just see it all in person,” Green said. “When I visited, I knew like, ‘yeah, I’m not leaving without saying I’m coming.’”
Having committed in January, Green’s now settled into Alabama and has already made an impact in their spring football practices. Since day one, he knew that playing for the Tide meant two things.
“It’s all on everybody’s mind: getting the national championship and just playing physical,” Green said.
If a program doesn’t have that on their mind, they shouldn’t be a part of the Southeastern Conference, the most prestigious conference in college football thanks to the likes of powerhouse programs like Alabama, Georgia, and LSU. As this is Green’s first time playing in the SEC, he knows that it just means more.
“When you think about the SEC, I’m not gonna lie, I haven’t played in a game yet, but I do understand that this is big-time football,” Green said. “Yeah, I can just feel it. Just being around the facility, the anticipation. Football in the south is just different and we take pride in that stuff.”
Being a part of the SEC also means playing the best teams week in and week out; just last season, Alabama had the second-hardest schedule in the nation, and nine of the 15 hardest schedules belonged to SEC teams. Green knows that this season entails colossal clashes, and all eyes are on the Tide.
“Bama is the most-watched college football team in America,” Green said. “Pressure is a privilege though. If you want to play in big time games, then know there’s going to be pressure. The best players show up when needed. … It’s just one play at a time and about sticking with your team.”
Sticking with the team is more important than it ever has been in Tuscaloosa. When Nick Saban retired in 2024, 29 players transferred from Alabama, shattering the team’s previous record of 17. As the bleeding from the Saban era continues, Green believes in DeBoer and the program that he’s creating.
“People are worried about how Nick Saban’s not here no more, but I feel like the standard is still there,” Green said. “You still have some coaches here that were here when Saban was here. Bama wouldn’t just hire Coach DeBoer if they didn’t think he could get the job done.”
Similarly, DeBoer wouldn’t have gone after Green if he didn’t think that he could get the job done. Green comes into Alabama after contributing to an impressive three-year run at Oregon, winning the Fiesta Bowl, Big Ten Championship, a College Football Playoff game, and the Orange Bowl. Looking back at his time on the Ducks, Green had nothing but good to say.
“My time at Oregon was a blessing and I learned from a lot of great D-lineman,” Green said. “Oregon was my dream school growing up so I thank God for that opportunity to go in and experience that. … That was a great time, but transitioning away from Oregon, I just had to do what was best for me. Oregon was fun.”
Naturally, playing for one of the best programs in the nation helped Green adjust to playing at Alabama. In a time where so many coaches learned from under Saban (including Oregon head coach Dan Lanning), everything that Green learned at Oregon translated over quickly.
“I feel like in this era of college football, everybody came from under Kirby Smart or Nick Saban in some type of way, so everyone kind of talks the same language and runs the same thing but with their own personal style to it,” Green said. “Coming from Oregon and those three years there, and then coming to Bama, it was an easy transition.”
Though he’s left for Tuscaloosa, one thing that stood out to Green was the brotherhood he had in Eugene. Though he’s 2,500 miles away from his old teammates, he still feels close to them.
“I built deep connections with my- I call them brothers now,” Green said. “I still talk to them to this day. … It’s still love for the Ducks. I’m rooting for my guys that still play there.”
The same goes for his old high school teammates. When recalling his time playing for the Wildcats, Green immediately began went to talking about his friends.
“Playing with Dylan Rogers and Ethan White, those are my homeboys,” Green said. “And everybody else on the defense, like Juan Rojas. And Darnell [Rogers] played with us too for like one year. … It was a hell of a ride. I wish we could’ve went all the way.”
Along with Green, Dylan was a top 2023 recruit before committing to Nebraska, one of the most prestigious programs in college football. Green recalls that their time together on defense helped his recruiting process.
“It helps that Dylan was being recruited too, so coaches were damn near coming for me and him,” Green said. “I got my first offer from Lamar up in Beaumont in my junior year. I had four sacks against Shadow Creek and then I think the next day I got my offer from Lamar. Ever since then, the calls started coming in and coaches started coming to the school.”
After being touted as a consensus four-star recruit and top 300 player in the nation, being selected to the All-Midlands Region team and Army All-American Bowl, and leading the Wildcats to a District co-championship in his senior year, Green racked up over 30 offers and finalized his list to just five teams. Though he signed with Oregon, it came down to them or Texas.
“I’m from Texas and I feel like staying home was a consideration,” Green said. “And I’ve always liked Texas.”
Green’s recruiting process was unique. He was a part of one of the first classes since the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness, a policy enacted by the NCAA in 2021 allowing college athletes to earn money.
“It [NIL] was really unknown and people didn’t know how much they could do,” Green said. “There weren’t any limits and it was kind of just all over the place. Now it’s more controlled and there’s rules and regulations.”
As NIL and its limits still remain as one of the most controversial topics in college sports, Green actively supports it. As somebody who puts himself in danger every time he steps onto the field, he believes that it’s only right that he and his peers can earn some money.
“Shoot, I’m thankful for it, you know?” Green said. “Players put their body on the line every day. It’s basically like a job. … Because of the blood sweat and tears you put in, I feel like players do deserve to get paid. I’m happy that even the generations or people after me will get paid too. That’s cool to see.”
All of these things — the evolution of NIL, recruiting, and friendships in high school — all played a part in Green’s four days in the transfer portal.
“I’m not gonna lie, the transfer portal is like recruiting out of high school but on steroids,” Green said. “I had visits setup with Nebraska and had a chance to maybe play with Dylan again. That was something I really thought about because I was like, ‘Damn, this could be like high school again.’”
Similarly, the opportunity to play at Alabama also served as a reminder to his high school days. When he went to Woods, he didn’t even want to play for them.
“Coming out of high school, I wanted to play them [Alabama], because that’s like beating the best,” Green said. “But it kind of came full circle because Alabama did recruit me out of high school. I didn’t end up visiting or going to a camp because I was like, ‘Nah, I’m either going here or here.’”
It also helps that at Woods, the University of Washington recruited Green. DeBoer coached for the Huskies back in 2023, meaning that the two were already familiar with each other.
“I had a great relationship with Coach DeBoer out of high school when they were recruiting me at Washington,” Green said. “It all felt kind of natural. And they [Alabama] have a great D-line coach in Coach Roach.”
Here at Woods, Green realized the importance of coaching. Head coach Cody Simper and defensive coordinator David Brown II came to Woods in Green’s junior year, completely changing the culture.
“When they came in, everything kind of like changed for our program and we got more exposure,” Green said. “Even with Coach [John] Mitchell in the weight room, the lifting program was more serious and I feel like I got stronger and more flexible… Those two years with Simper were definitely some of my best years at Woods.”
Playing for the Wildcats means playing Texas high school football, a fact that prepared Green for college competition. In Green’s junior year, Woods’ district opponents consisted of two five-star recruits; there were only 32 five-star recruits in the entire nation.
“Playing in Texas, I feel like the culture of football and the competition of football is big time, so I felt like I’d already done it before,” Green said. “Just being from Texas, I’ll tell you I honor that with pride and I’m going to make Texas proud when I’m out there.”
Having reminisced on the past, Green also looks to the future. He plans to follow the footsteps of other Alabama greats and enter into the NFL draft within the coming years.
“I want to get picked,” Green said. “That’s been my dream since I was a kid. I want to go there, but I also just want to stay and create generational wealth; change my life and my family’s life.”
His future isn’t the only one he cares about. Knowing that he now plays for the most prestigious college football program on Earth, Green invites students that walked the same halls as he did to dream just as big as he, and many other Woods alumni, once did.
“Just chase your dreams, you know?” Green said. “If you just put your mind to it, you can do anything you want to do. I feel like I’m an example of that. Dylan’s an example of that… Even if you’re not into sports, whatever you want to do, there’s always somebody to look up to. Just work on your craft, study it in and out, and you can do whatever you put your mind to.”
Having grown up in Cypress and calling it home, Green knows that there are so many people supporting him and his journey. As he heads into the brightest of lights, the support from this very town and school will be what he falls on.
“I realize that I got a lot of support,” Green said. “My coaches, my family, and people back home still believe in me… It does come with a lot of responsibility, but I just got to have fun like this is a game I’ve been playing since I was a kid.”
As the Tide prepare for a defining season in the DeBoer era, the anticipation and expectations have risen in unprecedented ways. For Green, all of the noise doesn’t mean much. He just wants to play some football.
“I’m excited for the season just to run out there,” Green said. “I want to contribute in a big way and I’m excited for my teammates to also shine. Man, I’m just excited to go out there and play football. Play fast. Play free.”
