With the 2023 NFL Draft less than a week away, Alabama Football fans are gearing up to see how many former Bama players will be chosen. One player that expects to hear his name called barely got the chance to suit up for the Crimson Tide.
Former Alabama Football cornerback Eli Ricks was only in Tuscaloosa for one season, starting just five games in his 10 overall appearances. Still, Ricks is a talented player who figures to be an NFL corner next year.
Highly touted out of high school, Eli Ricks was a 5-star recruit that was ranked as the 14th best player nationally in the class of 2020. He was listed as the second best cornerback in the nation, and a top-5 player in the state of California in a class led by quarterback Bryce Young.
Ricks ultimately committed to LSU, where he starred as a true freshman in 2020. Ricks started seven games for the Tigers, notching four interceptions returned for 113 yards and two touchdowns. His sophomore year was hampered by injuries, and he entered the NCAA transfer portal in the 2022 offseason as one of the most highly sought-after players in the country.
Eli Ricks joined Alabama Football out of the portal, theoretically filling a need on the Bama defense. Unfortunately, Ricks was not healthy to start the season and did not crack the starting lineup until the eighth game of the year.
He showed flashes of his ability immediately, breaking up four passes as Mississippi State targeted him repeatedly in his first start. He would later suffer another injury down the stretch, finishing the 2022 season with 13 tackles.
There was optimism that Eli Ricks would return for his senior season as a surefire starter, given that he missed the majority of his junior year with injuries. He perhaps could’ve played his way into the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft if he put together a consistent season. However, Ricks chose to enter the 2023 draft, leaving the Tide with question marks at cornerback once again.
Eli Ricks is currently receiving mid-round draft grades. He remains a talented and physically imposing cornerback, but his college career was so heavily impacted by injuries that he just doesn’t have enough quality film. He will likely be viewed as a boom-or-bust prospect by NFL scouts.
Good luck to 2023 NFL Draft entrant Eli Ricks!