Dezz Ricks Transfer Portal: 5 landing spots for Alabama CB ft. LSU Tigers
Dezz Ricks is set to become the latest member of the Alabama Crimson Tide to enter the transfer portal following the retirement of legendary coach Nick Saban. Pete Nakos of On3 Sports broke the news, tweeting:
"Alabama cornerback Dezz Ricks has officially entered the transfer portal, @On3sports has learned. Former five-star recruit."
Check out Pete Nakos' tweet below:
Ricks joined the Crimson Tide as a five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. He made brief appearances in two games, however, he did not record any stats. Here's a closer look at five potential landing spots for the cornerback:
5 potential landing spots for Dezz Ricks
#1: LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers were narrowly edged out by the Alabama Crimson Tide when recruiting Dezz Ricks out of high school. The Tigers' defense struggled in 2023 as they ranked 82nd in scoring defense. They were even worse against the pass, ranking just 115th in the nation. Adding a talent like Ricks could improve the defense, while they would likely have plenty of playing time for him.
#2: Florida Gators
Along with the Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers, the Florida Gators were the only school that Dezz Ricks had an official visit with coming out of high school. The Gators also struggled defensively in 2023, ranking 78th in scoring defense and 70th in passing defense. They could look to kick the tires on the former five-star prospect once again, with the hopes that he is looking to return to his home state.
#3: Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles also recruited Dezz Ricks out of high school. While they did not have an official visit with the five-star prospect, joining the Seminoles would allow Ricks to return to his home state while also joining a strong defensive unit.
#4: Colorado Buffaloes
Deion Sanders has shown that he is more than willing to utilize the transfer portal. Furthermore, he previously recruited Dezz Ricks out of high school while leading the Jackson State Tigers. Now that he is with the Colorado Buffaloes, an FBS program in a Power 5 conference, he could look to gauge the former five-star prospect's interest.
#5: Alabama Crimson Tide
While the Alabama Crimson Tide will not have Nick Saban on the sidelines next season, Dezz Ricks could still look to return to the program. Kalen DeBoer has proven to be a very good coach and is coming off a season in which he led the Washington Huskies to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Ricks could look to rejoin the Crimson Tide after testing the waters.