Florida State reserve quarterback Jacob Coker has been released from his scholarship and is free to transfer to another program. He is on course to graduate this spring, whereupon he's expected to enroll at Alabama, sources told ESPN.
Coker, a redshirt sophomore, met with Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban on Tuesday, according to Steve Mask, Coker's former coach at St. Paul's High School in Mobile, Ala. Mask said the in-home visit went well.
"He's a recruitable guy," Saban told reporters at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. "We can't talk about anybody that we might be recruiting."
By completing his undergraduate coursework and pursuing a graduate degree, Coker would be eligible to compete in the upcoming season.
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound athlete was in the thick of the quarterback race with Jameis Winston this past offseason. Winston ultimately won the job, went on to claim the Heisman Trophy and led the Seminoles to the national title. Coker served as backup until suffering a season-ending knee injury Nov. 9 at Wake Forest.
A native of Mobile, Coker grew up a Tide fan and even served as AJ McCarron's backup at St. Paul's, where as a senior he threw for 1,508 yards and 16 touchdowns and also carried the ball 61 times for 355 yards and five scores.
The former three-star prospect committed to Florida State over offers from Arkansas State, South Alabama, Mississippi State and Duke.
If healthy, Coker is expected to compete for the Tide's vacant quarterback position.
Blake Sims, McCarron's backup in 2013, is primarily a running quarterback and might not fit Alabama's pro-style offense. Alec Morris, a strong-armed redshirt freshman from Texas, took a few snaps under center this past season but did not attempt a pass in a game. True freshmen Cooper Bateman and Parker McLeod redshirted their first years on campus, and fellow rookie Luke Del Rio transferred to Oregon State last week.
All of Alabama's quarterbacks have something of a fresh start with Lane Kiffin now holding the reins on offense. The former USC coach agreed to replace Doug Nussmeier as Alabama's offensive coordinator earlier this month.
Chris Low and David Hale of ESPN.com contributed to this report.