As the preseason accolades arrived this summer for Alabama cornerback Eli Ricks, the reality on the practice field painted a much different story.

A spot on the Associated Press’ preseason All-America first team and watchlist recognition for national awards seemed misaligned with the challenges faced by the LSU transfer once he arrived in Tuscaloosa.

Ricks lost a competition to open the season as a starting cornerback, then spent the first seven games of the season as a 6-foot-2 mystery man to Alabama fans who months earlier were excited about his potential to be star of the secondary.

A window opened when Ricks earned a starting role in Alabama’s Oct. 22 win over Mississippi State, and now finds himself back in the spotlight as he returns to Tiger Stadium on Saturday night. Once a freshman All-American who started against Alabama for LSU in 2020, Ricks is expected to make his second start for the Tide.

“I think it’s important that he just goes into this game and [is] himself and doesn’t think he has to do something fantastic just because he’s playing against a team he used to play for,” Nick Saban said Monday. “I think that’s always important psychologically for guys to be able to focus on what’s in front of them and do their job well.”

Ricks’ physical talent has never been in question. The five-star recruit from California was the No. 14 overall player in 247 Sports’ prospect rankings for the 2020 class, starting seven games as a freshman but leading the Tigers with four interceptions — including two returned for touchdowns.

“Classic cover corner with great ball skills,” his school-written biography read on LSU’s website. “Has all of the tools necessary to be a dominant player in the SEC … Big and rangy … Has great quickness and the ability to cover receivers one-on-one with no issues.”

But a shoulder injury ended Ricks’ sophomore season early and he decided last December to transfer to Alabama, where observers assumed he would start after the loss of cornerbacks Josh Jobe and Jalyn Armour-Davis to the NFL.

Instead, sophomore Terrion Arnold lined up opposite Kool-Aid McKinstry to begin this season, and Arnold started six of the first seven games until some missteps in a loss to Tennessee. Ricks became the starter against Mississippi State, with Saban telling ESPN’s broadcast crew that the transfer had to “earn his right” to the job. The lanky cornerback finished with four pass break-ups.

“I think he played well the last game, so hopefully he can build on that,” Saban said.

Pegged in the spring as a projected top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Ricks’ assimilation into Alabama’s defense was slowed by physical limitations from his shoulder surgery as well as other factors.

“It was really a more difficult transition for him physically, emotionally, mentally, to come from where he was, to where he needs to get to be a kind of player that he wants to be,” Saban said in August, a few weeks after challenging Ricks at SEC media days to prove his knowledge of the system.

Tight end Cameron Latu noticed Ricks’ development behind the scenes.

“I’ve seen tremendous growth within Eli because of the emotional and mental battles he had to go through while being at Alabama — it’s tough,” he said Tuesday. “I’ve seen a lot of growth in him. I’m proud of him and he’s a big part of the team.”

With the SEC West potentially decided over the next two weeks as Alabama faces LSU and Ole Miss, an opportunity has opened for Ricks to impact the Tide’s season.

“I think fundamentally we worked really hard to get Eli to understand the expectation for what we want him to do, to have a good understanding of the scheme of how we’re playing and what we’re playing,” Saban said. “I think he’s developed confidence throughout the season as he’s learned more and gotten more comfortable.”

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.