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Blake Baumgartner, ESPN Staff Writer
Former Washington wide receiver/kick returner Germie Bernard has committed to Alabama, he announced on social media Sunday.
Bernard, who entered the transfer portal Monday, follows former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer to Tuscaloosa. DeBoer, after going 25-3 in two seasons at Washington and establishing a 104-12 career record as a head coach, succeeded Nick Saban on Jan. 12.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Bernard recorded 738 all-purpose yards (419 receiving yards, two touchdowns) for the Huskies last season as they won a program-best 14 games on the way to the College Football Playoff National Championship game, where they lost 34-13 to Michigan.
Bernard, who transferred to Washington from Michigan State prior to last season, was part of a very talented receiver room for the Huskies. The quartet of Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillan and Bernard helped quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb (who has since joined DeBoer in the same role at Alabama) engineer the country’s second-best passing offense at 343.7 yards per game in 2023.
Bernard is the second former Washington player to join DeBoer. Quarterback Austin Mack, a member of the 2023 recruiting class, committed to Alabama on Thursday, four days after entering the transfer portal.
Bernard initially committed to Washington before transferring to Michigan State ahead of the 2022 season. In 12 games for the Spartans, he caught seven passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns in limited time.
Former Arizona coach Jedd Fisch was hired by Washington on Monday to take over for DeBoer and will be charged with guiding the program through the change from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel contributed to this report.