00:00Isaiah Bond goes undrafted a year after leaving Alabama to improve his draft stock.
00:05Isaiah Bond made one of the most legendary plays in Alabama football history in the 2023 Iron Bowl.
00:11He left behind that legacy to improve his draft stock at Texas.
00:15He went undrafted.
00:17Isaiah Bond transferred to Texas from Alabama last year in a move he called a business decision.
00:23Bond thought he could improve his draft stock and play in an offensive system
00:27and with a QB who could get him the football more.
00:31Bond officially went undrafted on Saturday, with seven rounds coming and going without hearing his name called.
00:38His numbers were down across the board in his junior season at Texas from where they were during his sophomore year at Alabama.
00:45Bond had a nice start to the season for the Longhorns,
00:47but caught just 14 passes over the final eight games of the season, including a total of four,
00:54combined in the team's last four games.
00:56He went from being Alabama's leading receiver a year ago to the third leading receiver for Texas behind Matthew Golden and Gunnar Helm.
01:03Just like the business world, you make the best decision for your company, Bond told ESPN last year after transferring.
01:09My company right now is my draft stock.
01:12I feel like I'm putting myself in position to increase that and have better draft stock.
01:18Bond was projected as a first or second round pick following an impressive sophomore season with the Crimson Tide.
01:23He had flashed tremendous speed and contested catchability.
01:27He caught one of the most famous passes in Alabama history when he hauled in a touchdown pass from Jalen Milrow on 4th and 31 in the Iron Bowl
01:34to lift the Crimson Tide to an improbable victory over Auburn.
01:37Bond would have forever been an Alabama legend for that play alone.
01:44He turned his back on that legacy for perceived greener pastures in Austin.
01:48He learned a difficult lesson that the grass isn't always greener.
01:52Bond spoke of Nick Saban's retirement as being the main reason that he left,
01:56but there were rumors that he was going to enter the transfer portal well before Saban walked away.
02:01The real reason is he wasn't happy with his role and wasn't happy with his QB.
02:06He did not perceive Jalen Milrow as a good enough QB to get him where he wanted to go
02:10and instead hitched his wagon to Quinn Ewers.
02:14On Ewers, Bond said,
02:16100%.
02:18He's a great big-time pocket passer quarterback.
02:21He's a top pick in the draft next year.
02:23I'm also going to be a top pick.
02:25It's going to be a good duo.
02:28Life comes at you fast.
02:29Ewers was ultimately taken by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round while
02:34Bond went undrafted.
02:36For what it's worth, Milrow was taken in the third round,
02:39four full rounds before Ewers,
02:40the big-time pocket passer and perceived top pick.
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