Iowa State offensive lineman Kadin Proctor plans to re-enter the NCAA transfer portal after transferring to his hometown to play for the Hawkeyes, possibly in January, according to 247Sports. In addition to leaving the Hawkeyes before playing a snap, Proctor is expected to return to Alabama following Nick Saban's retirement and transfer from the Crimson Tide after an outstanding freshman season.
Proctor, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, served Iowa State for many years as one of the top players in the state as a high school recruit, but ultimately transferred to Saban and Alabama at the last minute on National Signing Day. He started all 14 games for the Crimson Tide at left tackle heading into the College Football Playoff. After Saban announced his retirement, Proctor was one of several starting pitchers to put his name in the portal, ultimately ending up with Iowa.
“No bridges were burned,” Proctor said at the time. “That's why when we entered the transfer portal, it was so easy to choose them because we still have those relationships.”
Ironically, the Hawkeyes self-reported a Level III rule violation after Proctor revealed that he had received encouraging emails from Iowa staff during the season. The Level III violation is considered a minor, especially since the text messages had no intent to recruit him to Iowa.
Proctor was ranked No. 5 overall and No. 1 in tackles in the Top 247 rankings for the 2023 class. He was the second-best member of Alabama's prized 2023 freshman class and one of three top-10 prospects in the group.
His return to Alabama will be a big addition as the Crimson Tide looks to rebuild the unit under first-year coach Karen DeBoer. Conversely, this loss is significant for Iowa State, which just posted one of the worst offenses in college football a year ago. After the season, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz (son of Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz) was fired. The Hawkeyes have hired former Western Michigan coach Tim Lester to lead the team, his first offensive coordinator since 2015.
