BREAKING: Alabama Football Loses Former Five-Star Recruit to Transfer Portal; Offensive Weapon Leaving Tuscaloosa After Disappointing 3 Catch Season
The Alabama football program might have sneaked into the College Football Playoff last Sunday. Yet, some Crimson Tide players are ready to jump ship before their semifinal matchup against the Michigan Wolverines. Per Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports, Alabama football wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks has entered the transfer portal.
Brooks joins former teammates Thaiu Jones-Bell and Tyler Buchner in the transfer portal. Jones-Bell had four catches in three seasons with the Crimson Tide. Meanwhile, Buchner played sparingly, backing up starting quarterback Jalen Milroe in 2023. The former Notre Dame Fighting Irish signal-caller will return to South Bend to play lacrosse.
Ja’Corey Brooks: Career with Alabama Football
Brooks, a consensus five-star prospect and one of the highest-ranked receivers in the class of 2021, caught 15 passes for 192 yards and two scores as a freshman. He tallied six receptions for 47 yards in his team’s loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Brooks posted career numbers with quarterback Bryce Young in 2022, snagging 39 passes for 674 yards and eight scores. He shined in the Crimson Tide’s victory over the Kansas State Wildcats in the Sugar Bowl, registering two receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown.
However, Brooks took a back seat in 2023, catching just three passes for 30 yards in nine games. Instead, sophomore Isaiah Bond took a massive step forward, leading the team in receptions. Meanwhile, underclassmen Kobe Prentice, Kendrick Law, and Malik Benson outpaced Brooks in receptions.
Brooks Joins Talent Wide Receiver Group in Transfer Portal
Ja’Corey Brooks will join an elite group of wide receivers who have thrown their names in the transfer portal. Juice Wells, Caullin Lacy, and Will Sheppard headline the star-studded talent looking for new teams. Wells dominated for the South Carolina Gamecocks in 2022, recording 68 receptions for 928 yards and six scores. However, injuries derailed his 2023 campaign. Meanwhile, Lacy and Sheppard posted monster numbers this year. Lacy posted 91 receptions for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns with the South Alabama Jaguars, while Sheppard had 47 catches for 684 yards and eight scores with Vandy.
