'Great Player!' Ex Alabama Teammates Praise Texas Transfer WR Isaiah Bond

Regarded as one of the best players in the 2024 transfer portal, Isaiah Bond's stats don't jump off the sheet. But with high praise from some of Alabama's best players, its hard not to be excited about the new Longhorn.

April 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA: Texas White wide receiver Isaiah Bond runs the ball in to score a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the Longhorns' spring Orange and White game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sara Diggins-USA Today Sports via American Statesman / Sara Diggins/USA Today Sports via

For those not as familiar with former Alabama transfer wide receiver Isaiah Bond’s game, his hype may be a bit surprising. Ranked as the top wide receiver and a top-five player in the portal, one would expect a receiver with a legitimate wide receiver one track record, someone who has put up over a thousand yards in his career.

So many fans were likely shocked to see that outside of his infamous 4th and 31 Iron Bowl heroism, Bond was far from a standout producer. Though still just a sophomore, Bond put up under 700 yards with four touchdowns last season, ranking 16th and 17th in the SEC respectively. Oftentimes, however, the rankings and stats don’t tell the full story, and what’s most important can often be the praise, or critique, of those around them.

"Bond, he's a great player, man. Very, very fast, very elusive, very explosive," Alabama defensive back Malachi Moore said. "When he was with us, he was a very dynamic player, so I pretty much think they're gonna get the same thing over there."

Moore is one of the longest-tenured players on the current Crimson Tide team, having started in the defensive backfield since his freshman year in 2020. Moore has lined up against the likes of Malik Nabers, Jalin Hyatt, and Elijah Moore, some of the most dynamic playmakers in the last five years in the SEC, but knows exactly what Alabama lost in Bond. 

Jan 1, 2024; Pasadena, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Isaiah Bond (17) is tackled by Michigan Wolverines linebacker Michael Barrett (23) during the second half in the 2024 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was another big name on campus alongside Bond in 2023. Both had their first full years starting in 2023 and got off to a slow start. Milroe had concerns about his passing ability, even leading to being benched early on in out-of-conference play, and wasn’t connecting with Bond.

In the first five games of the year, Bond and Milroe averaged just over two receptions for 36 yards together, a mark you wouldn’t expect from the top transfer pass catcher and a Heisman hopeful under a year later. Then the Texas A&M game came around.

In a game where the Crimson Tide registered under 50 yards on the ground, Bond made the difference. Alongside a stellar game from future Bengal Jermaine Burton, Bond opened the touchdown scoring in the second quarter with a 52-yard bomb, ending the game with seven receptions for 96 yards. 

“What a great player, very explosive, detail-oriented. He's a team guy," said Jalen Milroe in a recent interview. "To see him go was tough, but I'm very excited for him because he has another opportunity to play somewhere else and so I'm super excited for him and his future."

In the final five games in SEC play, Milroe and Bond jumped to four receptions for 63 yards per game, including a miraculous touchdown catch to hoist the Crimson Tide over Auburn in one of the most memorable Iron Bowl games in recent memory.

Now finally an upperclassman, Bond has traded out the Alabama Crimson for Texas Burnt Orange and will be catching passes from pre-season SEC second-team quarterback Quinn Ewers, the better of the two gunslingers in Texas’ week two win in Tuscaloosa in 2023. With high praise from his past teammates and potentially future opponents, Bond will look to prove he was worth every point of that .98 transfer rating in 2024.