Ja'Corey Brooks transfer: Alabama receiver, 2021 Iron Bowl hero enters NCAA transfer portal

Alabama football wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks etched his name in Crimson Tide lore with a game-saving touchdown in the 2021 Iron Bowl, but his time in crimson and white is coming to an end.

Brooks will enter the NCAA transfer portal ahead of the 2024 college football season, Tuscaloosa News was able to confirm on Thursday.

Brooks was instrumental in Alabama's 2021 national championship season, bringing in a 28-yard touchdown catch to tie the game 10-10 in the final seconds of the Iron Bowl against Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium. That sent the game past regulation, where Alabama eventually won in four overtime periods, 26-24, to keep the Crimson Tide's championship aspirations alive.

Brooks was the No. 2 wide receiver for the Crimson Tide in 2022, racking up 674 yards and a team-leading eight touchdown catches on the seasonut. But a nagging shoulder injury kept Brooks out of the rotation during the 2023 season, when he appeared in just nine games and recorded three catches for 30 yards.

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Here's everything you need to know about Ja'Corey Brooks and his time with Alabama:

Ja'Corey Brooks stats

In three seasons at Alabama, Brooks grabbed 57 receptions and 896 passing yards to go along with 10 touchdowns. As a freshman, he appeared in all 15 games and carved out a significant role as a mainstay in Alabama's rotation before an explosive sophomore season.

In 2022, Brooks put up 674 receiving yards, three yards short of team-leading Jermaine Burton, and was tied for third in the SEC with eight touchdowns, becoming a reliable option for quarterback Bryce Young. A shoulder injury in Week 10 against LSU this season took Brooks out of the rotation, however: He caught just three passes for 30 yards across the 2023 season. Now, the veteran wideout will now look for playing time at other collegiate programs.

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Ja'Corey Brooks 247 rankings

As a five-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, Brooks was heavily touted coming out of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Prior to that, he played for Booker T. Washington High School. He ledthe program to a 4A state title amid an electric 2019 season that saw him catch 99 passes for 1,281 yards and 18 touchdowns, according to his bio on Alabama's site.

The 247 Sports Composite rankings listed Brooks as the No. 27 player in the country, the No. 2 wide receiver and No. 8 player from the state of Florida. Brooks elected to join Alabama despite receiving offers from Tennessee, Ole Miss, Penn State, LSU, Georgia and other famed college football schools.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Alabama's Ja'Corey Brooks enters transfer portal ahead of 2024 season