Alabama's offensive line got a big boost when the spring portal period opened, as Caidin Proctor, who initially entered the portal and went to his native Iowa after Nick Saban's retirement, decided to return to Tuscaloosa and play for Alabama again.

The rising sophomore was once one of the most highly-anticipated freshmen in the country. Proctor had an up-and-down freshman season with the Tide, but ultimately seemed to grow by leaps and bounds as the season progressed.

Proctor was touted as a key piece of Alabama's offensive line as a sophomore before entering the portal, and losing him to Iowa was an early blow for Karen DeBoer's staff.

RELATED: Not in Iowa anymore: Crimson Tide star returns to Tuscaloosa

However, in the weeks between when the Alabama portal window closed and when the spring portal window opened, rumors circulated that Proctor could be heading back to Tuscaloosa.

Ultimately, that's what the talented tackle chose to do. He committed to return to Alabama the day after the transfer window opened. In an exclusive interview with 247Sports, Proctor said his decision to leave the team was one of the worst decisions he's ever made.

“I really regret it. It's probably one of the worst decisions of my life. Looking back, there were so many people here who cared about me and tried to tell me this was the best place for me and I didn't think it through,” Proctor said.

“To the coach [Kalen] DeBoer and the staff tried to talk me into staying, but I wasn't really sitting there listening to them. I was just desperate to get home and no one was going to change my mind… My parents told me that too, but they were like, 'Okay, figure it out for yourself.' And that's exactly what happened. I trusted them. I said, 'You're right.' All I could say was, you're right and I made a mistake.”

Proctor's return will give Alabama's offensive line a big boost and should propel the team to one of the best in the nation in 2024.

He clearly regrets leaving in the first place, but now he's back where he belongs.