The fallout of Nick Saban retiring as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide has begun with wide receiver Isaiah Bond submitting the necessary paperwork to transfer.
Alabama leading receiver Isaiah Bond has submitted his paperwork to enter the transfer portal, a source tells @247Sports.
The former top-50 overall recruit led the Crimson Tide with 48 catches this year. (@_NickKelly 1st).https://t.co/asq9HQZPeJ pic.twitter.com/2UWDFN8tAT
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 12, 2024
Part of the 2022 recruiting class, Bond was the No. 43 overall prospect per 247Sports.
This comes after the formal transfer portal period closed on January 2. With Saban retiring, players are allowed a 30-day window to enter the portal.
Following Saban's retirement, it's been reported by multiple outlets that athletic director Greg Byrne asked the team to give him 72 hours to get a new head coach before hitting the transfer portal, but it seems Bond is headed out anyway.
In 2023, Bond caught 49 passes on 75 targets for the Crimson Tide across the regular season and the College Football Playoff. He amassed 671 yards and four touchdowns. This comes after he caught 17 balls for 220 yards and a touchdown last season as a freshman.
He was the receiver on the end of the fourth-and-goal play from the 31-yard line for the Crimson Tide against the Auburn Tigers in the Iron Bowl. Quarterback Jalen Milroe connected with Bond for a score to win the game.
Now, Bond will hit the transfer portal, but it's not totally out of the question that he could return. During this period, Bond will explore what other options are out there, including NIL potential. He'll have 30 days to stay or go.
If he does leave the program, it's safe to wonder what other players will leave the program. Could Milroe be on the way out with no head coach picked yet?
The Crimson Tide finished the season with one loss during the regular season, losing to the Texas Longhorns in Week 2. They defeated the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship, landing in the College Football Playoff as the No. 4 seed, supplanting the Florida State Seminoles, who lost starting quarterback Jordan Travis earlier in the season due to a leg injury.
They lost to the Michigan Wolverines 27-20 in the semi-final of the College Football Playoff. Michigan went on to win the College Football National Championship.
