“No Bridges Were Burned”: 5-Star Offensive Tackle Kadyn Proctor Opens up on Leaving Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama for Iowa

No matter how far off you go, you always find your way back home. Kadyn Proctor might have taken a U-turn to get to Iowa but now he’s coming home to a wide base of excited and cheering fans. The 5-star offensive tackle is officially a Hawkeye, as of Saturday!

With legendary HC Nick Saban’s retirement and Kalen DeBoer taking his place, several players have entered the transfer portal. Proctor is one of the players who entered the portal and he’s now committed to the team which he left for Alabama in 2022. See what he recently revealed about his decision to return home after a successful stint with the Crimson Tide. 

Kadyn Proctor is happy to be back home 

For someone as talented as Kadyn Proctor to be joining Iowa who lost the Citrus Bowl to Tennessee, it’s an open welcome despite a not-so-pleasant past. The 6’8 365-pounder broke many fans’ hearts when he flipped to Nick Saban’s Alabama in December 2022 after his commitment to Iowa in June. But it looks like there’s no bad blood as the star OT said, “No bridges were burned. That’s why it was so easy for me to pick them… because we still have those relationships.”

Kadyn Proctor’s decision to join Iowa seems to have been long thought out as he admitted that the program continued to support him even during his SEC run at Alabama. In the 2023 season, Proctor started every game as a tackle for the Crimson Tide and earned the titles of Freshman All-American and First-team Freshman All-SEC. The Des Moines native said of Iowa, “This is home. I love home. This is ultimately where I wanted to be.”

Alabama lost over a dozen players to the transfer portal after Nick Saban’s retirement

Kadyn Proctor isn’t the only notable player who left Alabama after Nick Saban retired on Jan. 10. With the winningest HC’s retirement after coaching Alabama for 17 seasons and Kalen DeBoer taking his place, at least 14 players entered the transfer portal. In addition to the 19-year-old OT, some notable players who left include WR Isaiah Bond and safety Caleb Downs. 

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This transfer pandemonium is a blow for the new Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer who will have to build things up from the bottom. But you can’t underestimate the former Washington HC who won three NAIA Championships and was named AFCA NAIA Coach of the Year three times. With the recent unfolding, fans are keeping an eye on both Kadyn Proctor in his new home as well as Alabama who are set to run under a new HC after 17 years. 

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