Alabama football kicked off fall camp Thursday, Aug. 4.
Fans of the Crimson Tide are excited for this edition of athletes taking the field, as Nick Saban and the program look to reclaim the crown of national champions. With the start of college football quickly approaching, the staff writers for Touchdown Alabama Magazine will provide in-depth previews of the top 30 players on Alabama’s roster.
Junior cornerback, Eli Ricks comes in at No. 15.
Eli Ricks
-Classification: Junior
–Position: Cornerback
-Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
-Height: 6-2
-Weight: 190 pounds
–Strengths: Length, Ball Skills, Ling Arms, Man Coverage, Press, Anticipation, Consistently gets head around in coverage
-Weaknesses: New to system, Only played four games last season before injury
SUMMARY:
Alabama made one of the big splashes in the off-season when they pull Eli Ricks from the transfer portal.
The former five-star recruit made an immediate impact the moment he suited up for the LSU Tigers in 2020. He finished his freshman season with 20 tackles, four interceptions and two pick-sixes. Ricks was named to the Freshman All-SEC team after his impressive freshman campaign.
Unfortunately, he only played in four games in 2021 before a shoulder injury cut his season short. He entered the transfer portal in November and announced he was transferring to Alabama in December.
At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Ricks has incredible length with long arms. He excels in press-man coverage with his ability to use his length to get hands on the receiver off the line of scrimmage, and he can turn and run with most receivers. He also consistently gets his head around in coverage, which gives him multiple opportunities to pull down interceptions with his great ball skills.
The California product is also a threat to turn interceptions into touchdowns at any point.
Alabama has had a heated cornerback competition throughout fall camp with Ricks battling with Kool-Aid McKinstry, Khyree Jackson, Terrion Arnold and Jahquez Robinson. It will be interesting to watch how Alabama’s cornerback depth shakes out when the Tide’s depth chart is released in the very near future.
Related countdown stories
–No. 19, DB Kool-Aid McKinstry
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
