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Eli Ricks pens farewell letter to LSU prior to Alabama commitment

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Eli Ricks, one of the most sought-after transfer portal targets, committed to Alabama on Wednesday night. Before he committed, the cornerback wrote a farewell to his fans and teammates at LSU.

Ricks wrote a four-sentence letter to LSU, where he played the first two years of his college career. The former five-star recruit entered the portal last month and committed to Nick Saban and Alabama on Wednesday — keeping him in the SEC.

“This is just a personal thank you to Coach O, Coach Raymond, and all of the LSU staff that helped me during my process at LSU,” Ricks wrote. “I am grateful for the opportunity and will not forget all the things that were done for me in my time there.

“Lastly, thank the man above for just letting me be where I’m at today I’m blessed honestly. I am ready for my next mission…”

His next mission is going to be in Tuscaloosa, where he’ll join a Crimson Tide defense that ranked eighth in the country in total defense this season.

Former LSU cornerback Eli Ricks announces transfer destination

One of the most sought-after transfers in the portal has a new home. Eli Ricks, a former five-star recruit, announced on Twitter he’s heading to Alabama.

It’s a huge portal victory for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.

In 14 games over two seasons with the Tigers, Ricks had 31 tackles and five interceptions, including two pick-sixes. He was a five-star recruit out of Florida’s IMG Academy in the Class of 2020 and was the No. 4 recruit in the state of Florida, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Out of high school, Ricks held plenty of offers, including Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Ohio State.

Ricks announced he was transferring from LSU last month in the wake of Ed Orgeron’s departure. His final four schools were Alabama, Georgia, USC and Ohio State.

Last month, Ricks did an interview about his decision to transfer and shed some insight on why he decided to leave Baton Rouge.

“Ed Orgeron was the main reason why I committed to LSU out of high school,” Ricks told 247Sports’ Greg Biggins. “He’s my guy, that’s the coach I’ve known since I was 10 years old. I first met him at a USC camp and we had an instant connection and a great relationship ever since.”

Orgeron reached an agreement with LSU to leave the program after the regular season. The Tigers finished 6-6 and are gearing up to play in the Texas Bowl this month. LSU hired Brian Kelly to replace Orgeron, but Brad Davis will coach the Tigers in the bowl game.