JC Latham reacts to reports of Kadyn Proctor returning to Alabama

One of the more surprising pieces of news this week across the college football landscape, were the reports that former Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor is coming back to Tuscaloosa. The 6-foot-7, 318-pound behemoth hit the transfer portal this offseason and joined the Iowa Hawkeyes in January. And just a few months later, it appears the star offensive lineman has had another change of heart. On Wednesday, Alabama right tackle J.C. Latham explained that he wasn’t surprised his former teammate changed his mind.

“I mean that’s the standard. The grass isn’t always greener in other places. So, when things happen and you think that it might be better somewhere else, you get to find out the hard way that it’s not. It’s Alabama for a reason,” Latham said to reporters.

The Alabama football program has been in the middle of a massive change at the helm this offseason, following the retirement of their legendary head coach, Nick Saban. Former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer has taken over the reins in Tuscaloosa and he’ll usher in a new era for the program.

Kadyn Proctor heading back to Alabama

Star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor is heading back to play at Alabama, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett. Proctor played his freshman season at Alabama before transferring to Iowa in the winter.

Proctor, an Iowa native, flipped to Alabama and signed with the Crimson Tide late in the 2023 recruiting cycle. He started at left tackle as a true freshman for Alabama and projected to lock down the spot for years to come, despite growing pains during his freshman campaign.

But in the offseason, after the retirement of Nick Saban, Proctor opted to head home to Iowa for what has now become a brief stay with the Hawkeyes program.

Proctor is a former Five-Star Plus+ prospect, and he was the top-ranked offensive tackle in the 2023 recruiting class. Originally, he passed on Iowa during his recruitment, flipping his commitment from the Hawkeyes to Alabama a day before signing day in December 2022, before choosing to return to the Hawkeyes.

Moreover, Proctor, in starting 13 games at left tackle as a true freshman, earned All-SEC Freshman Team honors. He picked up SEC Freshman of the Week recognition for his play at Auburn and was named to On3’s Freshmen All-American team.

Alabama will begin their 2024-2025 campaign against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. That one is slated for Saturday, August 31st. Official kickoff time has yet to be determined.

On3’s Andrew Graham also contributed to this article.