Former Miami guard Jalil Bethea is heading back to the transfer portal after one season at Alabama, reopening the recruitment of one of the more intriguing former five-star guards in college basketball.
NEWS: Alabama guard Jalil Bethea will enter the transfer portal, a source tells @247Sports.
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) April 8, 2026
Former McDonald’s All American. Averaged 3.9 PPG, 1.7 RPG this season.https://t.co/NDZ3a45y7e pic.twitter.com/Jb9J71nSkx
Jalil Bethea is back in the portal after one Alabama season
Bethea's numbers at Alabama were modest. He put up 3.9 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. He played in 26 games, averaged 8.1 minutes, shot 37.5% from the field and 31.4% from 3-point range, and scored 101 total points. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
That came one year after Bethea left Miami in the first place. Bethea entered the portal after his freshman season with the Hurricanes, and Alabama landed him the following month.
Bethea's lone year at Miami was more productive than his stop at Alabama. He played in all 31 games as a freshman in 2024-25, made 16 starts and averaged 7.1 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. He led Miami freshmen in scoring, had nine double-figure games and posted a season-high 21 points against Syracuse.
Bethea arrived at Miami as a major recruiting win, and he was one of the highest-ranked basketball signees in Miami Hurricanes history. Bethea was a 2024 McDonald's All-American and five-star recruit coming out of high school.
If HC Jai Lucas wants to take big swing in the portal, Bethea makes a lot of sense as a former Miami guard worth revisiting. Bethea was on Miami before Lucas arrived and the program was in turmoil. Now, with a stable backdrop — as well as the comfort of home — Lucas might be able to tap into the potential Bethea has. While it is uncommon to return to a program after leaving in the transfer portal, this would be the exception where it makes sense to make such a move.