Former five-star WR transferring from Alabama

On Thursday, the star of one of the Alabama Crimson Tide's most notable victories entered the transfer portal, according to Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer of 247 Sports. 

Just one season ago, the departure of wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks would've seemed impossible. 

The hero of the 2021 Iron Bowl, Brooks caught a 28-yard touchdown from Bryce Young to tie the game with less than a minute on the clock. Alabama ultimately won in four overtimes. 

He built on that success in 2022, racking up 674 yards and eight touchdowns on 39 catches. That's only three yards and one catch behind team leader Jermaine Burton. 

Brooks has struggled to make an impact in 2023, however. He only played in eight games and caught three balls for a total of 30 yards and no touchdowns. 

So what happened to the five-star prospect? 

According to Nick Alvarez of AL.com, a shoulder injury played a big part in the step backward. That said, Brooks still made an impact on special teams, something coach Nick Saban praised last month. 

“[Brooks has] been a little hurt, which has contributed to his role to some degree," AL.com quoted Saban as saying. "But he’s been great. He’s done a great job on special teams. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. When he’s gone in the game he’s done a really good job of doing what he needs to do." 

It surely doesn't help that Alabama has relied more on the run than they did in past seasons with gunslingers like Tua Tagovailoa and Bryce Young under center. Quarterback Jalen Milroe has scored 12 times on the ground himself, and that's not counting the Tide's deep running back room. 

Further complicating matters, the passes Milroe does throw have often landed in the hands of Jermaine Burton and Isaiah Bond, the latter of whom had his own last-minute heroic catch against Auburn. 

Between fewer passes and more competition, Brooks will look for an opportunity at another school, something every other receiver recruited in 2020 and 2021 has done, as noted by 247 Sports' Mike Rodak.