In this era, a transfer arriving at Alabama has an inside track for a starting job. Henry To’o To’o and Jameson Williams are examples from the small group who arrived for the 2021 season.
Another five came from Power 5 schools to Tuscaloosa for the 2022 campaign with a few on inside tracks toward starring roles. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs (Georgia Tech) and Jermaine Burton (Georgia) have impressed since stepping foot on campus last semester.
Another with an impressive resumé has some work to do in the secondary.
LSU transfer Eli Ricks was a five-star recruit and freshman All-American in Baton Rouge before opting for Tuscaloosa for Year 3. It’s been a challenge and Saban said the domino effect began with the shoulder injury that ended his sophomore season in October.
“I think that Eli sort of with the injuries that he had and the time that he was off,” Saban said Sunday, “it was really a more difficult transition for him physically, emotionally, mentally, to come from where he was, to where he needs to get to be a kind of player that he wants to be.”
Ricks wasn’t in a full contact jersey for the A-Day Game in April when he was playing with the second-team defense. Sophomore Kool-Aid McKinstry and senior Khyree Jackson were the starters with the first-team defense in a competition that has carried over into August.
As the No. 14 overall player in the 247Sports composite ranking of the 2020 class, Ricks was an instant star at LSU. He was a freshman All-American while intercepting four passes in his 14 total games with the Tigers.
A torn labrum ended his second season in mid-October after re-injuring the same shoulder that required surgery the previous offseason, The Advocate reported.
“I think that sometimes when you go through all those things, it can affect your confidence a little bit because you get frustrated and struggle because you’re not used to being in the kind of condition that you once were,” Saban said of Ricks. “No fault of his, but he had some difficult circumstances to overcome with the injuries and so forth. But he is making very, very good progress physically and on the field in terms of grasping the system and having a better understanding of what’s required of him to be a good player.”
Defensive coordinator Pete Golding said there were five cornerbacks competing for two starting spots with Ricks definitely in that mix.
“It’s not who’s listed at right corner, who’s listed at left corner,” Golding said. “We’re moving that around daily. We’re giving them all an opportunity to compete against the best guys, and see who can cover our ones. I think every day, that is a battle that we’re moving around to see who comes out on top.”
Golding mentioned redshirt freshman Terrion Arnold as another cornerback in the mix while Saban noted returning starting Star Brian Branch has seen reps at cornerback.
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.
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