Rico Scott tell why he stayed at Alabama after reports of him entering the transfer portal surfaced

Photo via Alabama Athletics

Rico Scott once appeared to be on his way out of Tuscaloosa after the 2025 football season, when multiple reports surfaced that he was entering the transfer portal.

Those reports quickly turned into reports that Scott would stay in Tuscaloosa, and he explained why during the Crimson Tide’s media day.

“I still felt like Alabama was the best place for me to develop,” Scott said. “I love the guys that I am playing with. I ultimately had to keep the main thing the main thing. That is ultimately why I decided to stay.”

Scott had 11 receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns last season. One of his scores came against Florida State in the Tide’s season opener when he turned a screen play into a tough run and a score. He got in the end zone for the second time that season with another tough run after the catch against Tennessee.

The Pennsylvania native returns to Tuscaloosa with the opportunity to start this fall. Lance Deane, who trained Scott during the offseason, feels the wide receiver will be a complete player during his junior year.

“I would expect a complete football player, a complete receiver, one that’s gonna show you the selflessness in the run game, with being able to block, also being able to be special with the ball in his hand,” Deane told Touchdown Alabama in May. “That’s another thing that we have talked about being able to show his ability to make guys miss and be special in short-yardage situations. Then obviously, another thing that I’m super excited for is his deep-ball playmaking ability, with his ability to stretch the field. That is something he was always blessed with, and I would expect that he gets some opportunities with that this year for sure to showcase that.”

Scott wants to be prepared to take full advantage of more opportunities this season.

“Definitely from a conditioning standpoint,” Scott said. “We might get around 11 drives a game. I definitely have to be ready to play five quarters on any given game. Just from a conditioning standpoint, being able to go at 100 percent for the guy beside me.”