As promised, here’s my rundown on several of the top prospects in the state that we seem to be focusing on. This is a banner year in the Yellowhammer State, and Harsin and company seem primed to take full advantage of the bevy of local talent by landing some key in state prospects. With that said, here we go:
LB Shemar James **** - Being local here in Mobile I’ve had the privilege of seeing James play numerous times, and what jumps out about this fast rising prospect is his sheer athleticism and explosion. James is more athlete than football player at this point, but he is loaded with potential. Currently he is being recruited as an ILB, but he’s still growing and has the type of frame that could easily turn into being an edge defender after a couple seasons in a strength and conditioning program. The top contenders for James right now are Auburn, Alabama and Florida, and this is a major recruiting battle we need to win as James is well on his way to becoming a top 150 player in the country and one of the top 3 players in the state.
OT Riley Quick **** - The brother of current U of A lineman Pierce Quick, Riley Quick is a two sport all-state athlete that has multiple P5 offers to play baseball or football at the next level. This extremely gifted prospect is currently deciding on whether to play football or baseball in college, but the early intel I’ve received lends itself toward him leaning to playing football. If that happens, landing Quick would be a major recruiting victory as he’s a prototype LT with the kind of athleticism that OL coaches dream about in a prospect. The competition for Quick is stiff, as the main players in his recruitment right now are Auburn, FSU, LSU, Georgia Tech, and Michigan.
S Kobi Albert **** - One of the top prospects on Derrick Masons Safety board, Albert is an extremely gifted two way player that’s also a multi sport athlete. With dynamic speed, great hips and athleticism, Albert is definitely one to watch and I fully expect him to OV and camp at Auburn as well. Main players here are Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky, Miss State and South Carolina.
SDE Caden Story **** - Story is a big DL target for us this cycle and Nick Eason has done a fantastic job with him to this point. Story will OV to Auburn in June, but landing his commitment will be tough as the competition for him is stiff with FSU, Texas A&M, and Tennessee also being in the mix. Still I really like Auburn’s chances here to land a quality defensive lineman.
OT Eston Harris *** - Just a 3 star prospect at this time, Harris has a who’s who type offer list and is currently being pursed heavily by teams like Auburn, Oregon, Florida State, Georgia, and Arkansas. Harris is definitely raw, but he has size and athleticism that you just can’t teach. Had someone I trust recently that’s in the evaluation business tell me that Harris has NFL type tools, and if he’s developed correctly that he’s a sure fire pro player. This is another recruitment that I really like our chances to win.
*******************Bonus *****************
RB Quinshon Judkins *** - The Pike road standout is a top target for Cadillac Williams in this class, and is someone Coach Harsin definitely wants to keep in state. Like the other prospects on this list, the competition is really tough with Penn State, Florida, and Miami being Auburn’s top competition.
OG Antavious Woody *** - This powerful big man is an athletic two way player that is coveted by multiple P5 schools with the top players being Auburn, FSU, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Texas A&M. Woody is a kid that if we push for, I really like our chances. I expect him to camp at Auburn in June, and once Will Friend gets a glimpse at him up close and in person, I suspect we will ramp things up in his recruitment.
That’s it for today’s post, tomorrow will be the top 5 to watch from the state of Florida.
LB Shemar James **** - Being local here in Mobile I’ve had the privilege of seeing James play numerous times, and what jumps out about this fast rising prospect is his sheer athleticism and explosion. James is more athlete than football player at this point, but he is loaded with potential. Currently he is being recruited as an ILB, but he’s still growing and has the type of frame that could easily turn into being an edge defender after a couple seasons in a strength and conditioning program. The top contenders for James right now are Auburn, Alabama and Florida, and this is a major recruiting battle we need to win as James is well on his way to becoming a top 150 player in the country and one of the top 3 players in the state.
OT Riley Quick **** - The brother of current U of A lineman Pierce Quick, Riley Quick is a two sport all-state athlete that has multiple P5 offers to play baseball or football at the next level. This extremely gifted prospect is currently deciding on whether to play football or baseball in college, but the early intel I’ve received lends itself toward him leaning to playing football. If that happens, landing Quick would be a major recruiting victory as he’s a prototype LT with the kind of athleticism that OL coaches dream about in a prospect. The competition for Quick is stiff, as the main players in his recruitment right now are Auburn, FSU, LSU, Georgia Tech, and Michigan.
S Kobi Albert **** - One of the top prospects on Derrick Masons Safety board, Albert is an extremely gifted two way player that’s also a multi sport athlete. With dynamic speed, great hips and athleticism, Albert is definitely one to watch and I fully expect him to OV and camp at Auburn as well. Main players here are Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky, Miss State and South Carolina.
SDE Caden Story **** - Story is a big DL target for us this cycle and Nick Eason has done a fantastic job with him to this point. Story will OV to Auburn in June, but landing his commitment will be tough as the competition for him is stiff with FSU, Texas A&M, and Tennessee also being in the mix. Still I really like Auburn’s chances here to land a quality defensive lineman.
OT Eston Harris *** - Just a 3 star prospect at this time, Harris has a who’s who type offer list and is currently being pursed heavily by teams like Auburn, Oregon, Florida State, Georgia, and Arkansas. Harris is definitely raw, but he has size and athleticism that you just can’t teach. Had someone I trust recently that’s in the evaluation business tell me that Harris has NFL type tools, and if he’s developed correctly that he’s a sure fire pro player. This is another recruitment that I really like our chances to win.
*******************Bonus *****************
RB Quinshon Judkins *** - The Pike road standout is a top target for Cadillac Williams in this class, and is someone Coach Harsin definitely wants to keep in state. Like the other prospects on this list, the competition is really tough with Penn State, Florida, and Miami being Auburn’s top competition.
OG Antavious Woody *** - This powerful big man is an athletic two way player that is coveted by multiple P5 schools with the top players being Auburn, FSU, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Texas A&M. Woody is a kid that if we push for, I really like our chances. I expect him to camp at Auburn in June, and once Will Friend gets a glimpse at him up close and in person, I suspect we will ramp things up in his recruitment.
That’s it for today’s post, tomorrow will be the top 5 to watch from the state of Florida.
