5-Star LSU Cornerback Considering Transferring to Tuscaloosa

The NCAA made changes to the transfer portal in the summer of 2021, allowing players to transfer without having to sit out the following season. The Alabama Crimson Tide already took advantage of this rule in 2021 by landing wide receiver Jameson Williams and linebacker Henry To'o To'o. The pair has had a substantial impact on the Tide and its efforts to repeat as champions.

LSU sophomore cornerback, Eli Ricks entered his name into the transfer portal after playing in six games for the Tigers in 2021. Ricks recently underwent season-ending surgery, ending his season with the Bayou Bengals.

Lame duck head coach Ed Orgeron indicated that Ricks and his family made the decision to opt for surgery, rather than continue to play for LSU.

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Ricks was rated a 5-star cornerback prospect out of IMG Academy in Florida by way of Mater Dei High School in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. He was considered the No. 2 cornerback prospect and the No. 14 overall player in the class of 2020. 

The Crimson Tide are always looking to improve in the defensive backfield and could look to add Ricks in the offseason by way of the transfer portal.

“I think what’s going to happen as you see how often in a lot of leagues, you know the good players go to a good team and the bad players leave good teams because they’re not playing,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said this past spring on the transfer portal. “So is that going to make the rich get richer? I don’t know. You can decide that.”

“I don’t think our good players are going to be leaving,” he said. “But I think we’ll be able to get some good players to join us, when we have room to do that.”

In 2020 Ricks was an AP Freshman All-American and also made the SEC All-Freshman Team. In 16 games for the Tigers, Ricks has tallied 31 tackles, 11 pass breakups, five interceptions and two touchdowns giving LSU a lockdown corner opposite Derek Stingley Jr.

The Crimson Tide could possibly lose Josh Jobe and Jalyn Armour-Davis to professional football, depending on the two juniors decisions. The Tide will still have a loaded cornerback room headlined by Kool-Aid McKinstry but Saban and Alabama can never turn down an opportunity to add a talent like Ricks.

Should Ricks join the Tide, Alabama will have a small collection of players hailing from Mater Dei High School. Alabama already has quarterback Bryce Young and offensive lineman Tommy Brown and is recruiting top corner prospect Domani Jackson as well.