al.comm did a nice article about hometown AU High Omar Mabson. He has 2 more years of HS, but I hope the Tigers can keep him home.
It might be hard for some to tell based on his physical appearance.
“He looks like a college running back right now,” Tigers coach Keith Etheredge said this week. “He’s built right now like he’s an incoming freshman in college.”
The 5-foot-9, 210-pound Mabson has been one of the hottest recruits in Alabama’s Class of 2026 this month, racking up numerous college offers. The list already includes Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri and North Carolina among others.
“He’s a 4.0 kid. Really good family. Kid is an unbelievable player,” Etheredge said. “He’s a 4.4 40 kid. He benches 360. He got that this morning. Unbelievable athlete. Great feet, and he’s worked to get there. He’s really worked in the offseason. We talked at the end of the year about developing the breakaway speed and working on getting stronger and faster, and he has done it. He has put his nose to the grindstone and gotten after it. He’s earned it.”
“I’ve had some great running backs that have been good at a lot of different things,” Etheredge said. “(Former Leeds star) Tre Nation had over 7,000 yards. He was unbelievable. But he wasn’t a 4.4 kid. He was a 4.6 kid. He didn’t have a lot of breakaway speed. He had a lot of football speed. Not a lot of people ran him down, but he ran for power. He wasn’t a speed guy. Omar can get on the edge. He can get between the tackles. He finds those little creases, and he turns them into big gains. You are not going to arm tackle him. He’s like tackling a tree stump. He sort of reminds you of a Michael Dyer or a Damari Alston at Auburn – that type of build. He’s a three-down back.”
“He’s got great hands. He’s a hard matchup,” he said. “If we go spread and he’s in the backfield and we motion him out, a lot of times people will sub in a DB to have someone to cover him. Then we can motion him back into the backfield. If they have a linebacker, it’s a mismatch at slot receiver. He is one of those kids who can do a lot of different things. He can run for power. He can run for speed. He’s very patient. He just makes plays.”
Despite his recent flurry of college offers, Mabson isn’t yet ranked as one of the top players in his class. He is No. 19 in the 247 sports rankings of junior recruits in the state of Alabama. The 3-star prospect is currently the No. 2 running back in the state in his class.
“I saw somebody had him as a 3-star,” Etheredge said. “If he’s a 3-star, I would hate to face a 4 or 5-star. There would have to be no way to stop them. Omar does all the little things a lot of people don’t do to make himself better. I’ve coached 25 years, and he is one of the most well-rounded kids I’ve ever coached.”
Etheredge said he doesn’t think a commitment is imminent for Mabson. “I think he will weigh all his options,” he said. “He’s a relationship guy. I think he will wait and see who he has the best relationships with going forward. I don’t think he’s in a hurry.”
Mabson and the Tigers will open the season at home Aug. 22 against North Miami Beach, Fla.
Etheredge said Mabson’s versatility will separate him from a lot of other backs moving forward.
As a sophomore, Mabson rushed for 1,216 yards and 16 touchdowns on 169 carries for Etheredge’s team. He also had 12 receptions for 138 yards and 10 kickoff returns for 310 yards. He was a second-team Class 7A All-State selection.
www.al.com
More Mabson... https://auburn.rivals.com/news/offe...urn-rb-tigers-football-recruiting-omar-mabson
Alabama, Auburn 2026 RB target Omar Mabson ‘like tackling a tree stump’
- Published: Jun. 18, 2024, 8:23 a.m.
It might be hard for some to tell based on his physical appearance.
“He looks like a college running back right now,” Tigers coach Keith Etheredge said this week. “He’s built right now like he’s an incoming freshman in college.”
The 5-foot-9, 210-pound Mabson has been one of the hottest recruits in Alabama’s Class of 2026 this month, racking up numerous college offers. The list already includes Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri and North Carolina among others.
“He’s a 4.0 kid. Really good family. Kid is an unbelievable player,” Etheredge said. “He’s a 4.4 40 kid. He benches 360. He got that this morning. Unbelievable athlete. Great feet, and he’s worked to get there. He’s really worked in the offseason. We talked at the end of the year about developing the breakaway speed and working on getting stronger and faster, and he has done it. He has put his nose to the grindstone and gotten after it. He’s earned it.”
“I’ve had some great running backs that have been good at a lot of different things,” Etheredge said. “(Former Leeds star) Tre Nation had over 7,000 yards. He was unbelievable. But he wasn’t a 4.4 kid. He was a 4.6 kid. He didn’t have a lot of breakaway speed. He had a lot of football speed. Not a lot of people ran him down, but he ran for power. He wasn’t a speed guy. Omar can get on the edge. He can get between the tackles. He finds those little creases, and he turns them into big gains. You are not going to arm tackle him. He’s like tackling a tree stump. He sort of reminds you of a Michael Dyer or a Damari Alston at Auburn – that type of build. He’s a three-down back.”
“He’s got great hands. He’s a hard matchup,” he said. “If we go spread and he’s in the backfield and we motion him out, a lot of times people will sub in a DB to have someone to cover him. Then we can motion him back into the backfield. If they have a linebacker, it’s a mismatch at slot receiver. He is one of those kids who can do a lot of different things. He can run for power. He can run for speed. He’s very patient. He just makes plays.”
Despite his recent flurry of college offers, Mabson isn’t yet ranked as one of the top players in his class. He is No. 19 in the 247 sports rankings of junior recruits in the state of Alabama. The 3-star prospect is currently the No. 2 running back in the state in his class.
“I saw somebody had him as a 3-star,” Etheredge said. “If he’s a 3-star, I would hate to face a 4 or 5-star. There would have to be no way to stop them. Omar does all the little things a lot of people don’t do to make himself better. I’ve coached 25 years, and he is one of the most well-rounded kids I’ve ever coached.”
Etheredge said he doesn’t think a commitment is imminent for Mabson. “I think he will weigh all his options,” he said. “He’s a relationship guy. I think he will wait and see who he has the best relationships with going forward. I don’t think he’s in a hurry.”
Mabson and the Tigers will open the season at home Aug. 22 against North Miami Beach, Fla.
Etheredge said Mabson’s versatility will separate him from a lot of other backs moving forward.
As a sophomore, Mabson rushed for 1,216 yards and 16 touchdowns on 169 carries for Etheredge’s team. He also had 12 receptions for 138 yards and 10 kickoff returns for 310 yards. He was a second-team Class 7A All-State selection.
Alabama, Auburn 2026 RB target Omar Mabson ‘like tackling a tree stump’
Auburn High running back Omar Mabson rushed for 1,200 yards and 16 TDs as a sophomore.
More Mabson... https://auburn.rivals.com/news/offe...urn-rb-tigers-football-recruiting-omar-mabson
