Five-Star CB Desmond Ricks Makes College Decision

The lockdown cornerback will join Nick Saban's eye-opening 2023 class, Tigers will continue retooling the secondary through transfer portal.

Five-star cornerback Desmond Ricks has committed to Alabama over LSU and Florida. The blue-chip defensive back, who is fresh off of a visit to Baton Rouge, will enroll early with the Crimson Tide.

The Tigers were in the lead with this one for quite some time, but a last second push by Nick Saban’s program ultimately sealed the deal.

As LSU continues retooling their secondary, missing out on Ricks is a significant blow, but the Tigers planned on utilizing the transfer portal to their advantage over the next few weeks regardless.

🚨BREAKING🚨 5-star CB Desmond Ricks has committed to Alabama🐘

Read: https://t.co/kBGb9asVYA pic.twitter.com/kGd1Vu7s90

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) December 22, 2022

On Thursday, Brian Kelly and his staff went out and secured a commitment from Texas A&M transfer Denver Harris. A former 5-star prospect in the 2022 cycle, LSU fills a position of need with the electrifying cornerback.

Look for the Tigers to continue making moves in the portal over the next few days.

LSU Will Prioritize Cornerback in Transfer Portal:

With Jarrick Bernard-Converse and Colby Richardson out of eligibility, it puts this unit in a bind going forward. Another key factor is Mekhi Garner's decision to enter the NFL Draft. The lockdown corner, who showcased All-SEC caliber play in his first season with the Tigers, leaves this cornerbacks room in a tough spot after declaring,

The Bayou Bengals are left with Sevyn Banks, Latterrance Welch and the incoming freshmen. Banks, who has battled the injury bug all season, would then be the only corner on this roster with significant experience.

It was always known the Tigers would need to attack the transfer portal when it came to the secondary this offseason. With the portal open, expect LSU to hit this position group with force as they look to rebuild a room that, at times, showed consistency.

Brian Kelly’s Transfer Portal Message:

“They have got to be the right fit first,” Kelly said. “They have to recognize the value of an education from LSU. They have to have the right traits. We are not just open for business. We’re not just putting a sign up saying, hey, we are going to take whoever. They have to be the right fit. I prefer that they are from the state of Louisiana if we can find them. And then we are going to address needs based upon how that freshman class marries into it by the particular needs by position class.

“So we are not going to overload a particular position group. In other words, if we have got three or four wide receivers that are freshmen coming in, you may not see a heavy influence in the portal in that position.

“We are going to develop based upon our freshman class, too. So we are doing this at the same time, and also allowing our program to be younger, too. We want to bring both of these along. We don’t always want to be a turn-it-over program where we are bringing in transfers and turning the program over.”