🏈 What was Eli thinking and who put those thoughts in his head?

[Davestwin]

A former 5-Star leaves early for the draft then doesn’t get drafted. As far as I know, he didn’t earn a degree so unless he’s one of the extremely rare FA’s that make it, he’s going to have a much different life than he envisioned for himself a couple of years ago. I guarantee you Saban didn’t advise him to leave early. Very sad.

Alabama CB, transfer from LSU, signs free agent deal

Former Alabama CB Eli Ricks was not drafted.

www.al.com

 

[Tidestalker]

This is a little odd... He had to be dealing with some type of injury? Talented kid...

 

[Secondand26]

A former 5-Star leaves early for the draft then doesn’t get drafted. As far as I know, he didn’t earn a degree so unless he’s one of the extremely rare FA’s that make it, he’s going to have a much different life than he envisioned for himself a couple of years ago. I guarantee you Saban didn’t advise him to leave early. Very sad.

Alabama CB, transfer from LSU, signs free agent deal

Former Alabama CB Eli Ricks was not drafted.

www.al.com

Parents, family, & friends. The ones that should be your support group are now the ones that set you up to fail. Tell them what they want to hear, not what they need to hear.
Typical situation from little league/ park ball. I remember a dad from my daughter’s high school who was convinced his 5’9” LB son was going to play for the Patriots - he was in the 8th grade at the time!

 

[TerryP]

This is a little odd... He had to be dealing with some type of injury? Talented kid...

Among other things. He never seemed to get back to form following getting injured at LSU and then played hurt all season in '22.

 

[Crimson&WhiteGecko]

Among other things. He never seemed to get back to form following getting injured at LSU and then played hurt all season in '22.

Why not heal up then? Get better physically & mentally to play & show off for the 2023 season?

He's not the only one either who had no business going early. The days CNS of encouraging to declare for the draft IF you are projected for the 1st round are long-gone. There are more cases of CNS/Bama players who improve their draft stock by sticking around their 4th/5th year than those who go early & then barely get drafted. It's baffling to me they don't see how their value improves by sticking around.

 

[alabama mike]

Bottom line, he was given some very bad advice or he thought he was good enough to get drafted. For many of these kids, a pro contract is the only way out of poverty and they believe what they hear about themselves. I hope he makes the Eagles.

 

[Justneedme81]

It is what it is.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

His value was extremely overinflated by the mock draft army a while back and those things tend to snowball and pick fans up along the way. No idea what his agent told him but the advisory committee and Saban would have laid it out for him. If he still wanted to jump, that’s on him. Maybe he will make the most of his free agent chance and turn it into something long term and fruitful.

 

[64Tide]

Thinking “I don’t have to go to class anymore, don’t have someone breathing down my neck pointing me in right direction. I can do what I want when I want and how I want”. He has an I problem.

 

[Justneedme81]

Thinking “I don’t have to go to class anymore, don’t have someone breathing down my neck pointing me in right direction. I can do what I want when I want and how I want”. He has an I problem.

That sounds like a case of Oppositional defiant disorder you just described. If Eli becomes a starter or key contributor this fall, then he defied the odds.