It has been a wild ride for cornerback prospect Desmond Ricks, but the 5-star has made his decision to sign with Alabama.
The Chesapeake, VA native (currently at IMG) stands at 6’1” 170 lbs. The 5-star reclassified to the class of 2023 shortly after he turned 18 years old in October of 2022. Despite moving up a class, he was still ranked as the No. 2 cornerback by the 247sports composite rankings and #23 overall.
Ricks started visiting campuses in early spring and made his way to Tuscaloosa in April of this year. He seemed to be zeroing in on Miami, Florida, LSU and Alabama, attending games for each during the 2022 season. Then in October came the news of his reclassification. After that announcement, his first Official Visit was to Alabama for the Iron Bowl. That was followed by OV’s to Florida December 2 and Baton Rouge December 16. At this point, it seemed that the Tigers had the upper hand. That feeling stuck around until some time Thursday when the recruiting boards starting buzzing that LSU had slipped and Bama was the new favorite. Sure enough, Ricks committed to Alabama.
Ricks is a pure cover corner, a position that the Tide definitely needed.
…Tall, fast, explosive and physical. Put together a standout youth football career up in Virginia before moving down to Florida and transferring into the national powerhouse that is IMG Academy for his final two years of high school. Was initially a member of the 2024 recruiting cycle, but reclassified to the class of 2023 in October of 2022 shortly after he turned 18 years old. Can run –and more importantly– find the football, which is an important skill to have in an era where most offensive coordinators want to stretch the field. Rather battle-tested for a youngster having seen plenty of targets come his way both on Friday nights and the 7-on-7/camp circuit. Usually holds his own in coverage, and has a higher success rate in 50-50 situations, but has still given up some long gains and can get caught wandering. Should be able to cut down on mistakes as he refines his technique and learns how to consistently get wide receivers off schedule. Spent a good chunk of 12th grader year working on the inside in one of the nation’s most talented prep secondaries. Could probably be deployed as a slot corner on Saturdays, but ceiling seems to ultimately be the highest as a wide defender given his longer stride and ability to take away throwing lanes with his size. Must keep progressing and get better at anticipating/feeling out routes, but should be viewed as a multi-year starter and potential all-conference player at the Power Five level. Favorable frame (over 6-foot-1) and elite testing profile (4.5 in the 40-yard dash to go along with a near 39-inch vertical jump) likely to have him on the radar of NFL scouts one day. ~ 247sports.com
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Ricks chose Alabama over LSU and Florida. Robert Gillespie and Travaris Robinson are credited for his recruitment. The commitment moves Alabama’s No. 1 ranked class up into the stratosphere.
#RollTide #NSD23
