Iowa made sure not to miss a second time.

Kadyn Proctor, the former 5-star 2023 offensive tackle from Des Moines, signed with Alabama as a high school recruit after spending nearly six months as a Hawkeye pledge. After a year in Tuscaloosa, Proctor hit the transfer portal.  On Saturday, he announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes.

 

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The 6-foot-7, 360-pound lineman has already enrolled and will join the program for the spring semester, according to The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman. Proctor earned the starting left tackle job in fall camp and held that spot throughout the entirety of the season as Alabama made its run to an SEC title and a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance.

He was an All-SEC Freshman team selection in 2023, but played through growing pains as a first-year player in the SEC. He was charged with allowing 36 quarterback pressures, the most of any lineman in the SEC. But Alabama head coach Nick Saban stuck him throughout the season.

A week after Saban announced his retirement, Proctor hit the transfer portal.

And Iowa was ready to bring him home. With the ease of transfers in college football’s current form, the ability to continue fostering relationships with prospects even after losing recruitments is becoming something of a skill. Credit to the Iowa coaching staff for losing Proctor on the eve of his signing in 2022 and keeping the relationship intact.

At Iowa, he should step in and compete for the starting left tackle job right away. He’ll bolster a group that is set to return all five starters from the 2023 season opener. Should Proctor win that left tackle job, it would push Mason Richman — a three-year starter at the position — either inside to guard or to the other end of the line.

It’ll also be worth watching what happens with Gennings Dunker, an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick at right tackle in 2023. According to Pro Football Focus, Dunker was Iowa’s best pass-blocker among its rotational offensive linemen last season.