Alabama Summer Enrollee Spotlight: Isaiah Bond

Bond brings speed and explosive play-making ability with him to the Crimson Tide this summer.

Author:
Joey Blackwell
Publish date:
May 20, 2022 9:00 AM EDT

After welcoming in a dozen early enrollees in January, the rest of Alabama’s 2022 class is set to arrive on campus at the end of the month. The Crimson Tide will be joined by 11 freshmen summer arrivals as well as junior college transfer Miles Kitselman, who committed to Alabama earlier this month.

Over the next two weeks, BamaCentral will break down the arrivals one by one. Next up is explosive wide receiver Isaiah Bond.

The player

A unanimous four-star prospect, Bond was the No. 2 athlete and No. 8 overall player in the state of Georgia according to the 247Composite. Selected to the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, Bond was an impressive player in high school, helping Buford High School to back-to-back state titles.

The first thing fans will likely notice about Bond is his speed. In addition to his skills on the gridiron, Bond has also won GHSAA state championships in track in the 100-meter, 200-meter events and 4x100 meter relay. His speed is reminiscent of what Alabama fans have seen in the past with Jaylen Waddle, and more recently, Jameson Williams.

The explosive play maker originally committed to Florida back in May but later de-committed after the news of Dan Mullen's firing in late November, which paved the way for Alabama to ultimately land the Peach State product.

How he fits into Alabama

As noted earlier, Bond brings speed with him to the wide receiver position — something that the team was lacking after the departure of Jameson Williams. However, with the addition of Louisville transfer Tyler Harrell, speed has been added back to the Crimson Tide wide receiver corps in droves.

That shouldn't take away from Bond's potential impact at Alabama, though. Should Harrell repeat the route that Jameson Williams took by transferring to the Crimson Tide for a season before heading to the NFL, Bond will have ample opportunities to display his speed in the seasons to come.

One thing that Bond needs to work on is his size. Measuring in at 5-11 and 175 pounds, he will no doubt need to add some weight to his frame in order to succeed at the SEC level of college football. That being said, we've seen smaller wide receivers in the past succeed at Alabama — just ask Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith.

Bond plugs into Alabama's receiving unit nicely and has a high potential to become a play maker for the Crimson Tide. That being said, a year or two of development will likely be needed before he takes a job as a starter.

What to expect next year

Bond joins an Alabama wide receiver group that is overflowing with talent. Combining returners Ja'Corey Brooks, Traeshon Holden, Christian Leary and JoJo Earle with incoming transfers Jermaine Burton and Tyler Harrell, and Bond has a lot of competition on his hands for any of the three starting receiver spots.

Burton emerged as one of quarterback Bryce Young's top targets this spring, and either Harrell or Earle is expected to take the starting position at slot. Holden measures in at the largest wide receiver on the team at 6-3, 214 pounds, and will take his physicality to the field when needed this season.

So where does that leave Bond? Bond possesses a skillset that will be crucial for Alabama's receiver corps in upcoming years, but isn't necessarily fill an immediate need due to the addition of Harrell. Bond has the potential to make an impact this season, but will likely be developed on the sidelines and in practices to increase his size and prep him for 2023. That being said, expect to see Bond on the field in late-game situations this season.

Key quote

"A lot of Heisman candidates, great players," Bond said of why he chose Alabama. "To be the best, you've got to compete against the best, and to go against it every day in practice is just going to get you better."