There’s a new face at the top of Best in Bama, and it belongs to Thompson senior quarterback Trent Seaborn.
AL.com’s weekly ranking of the state’s top high school football prospects, regardless of classification or graduating class, has Seaborn at No. 1 after another huge jump up the board. He opened the season at No. 12, climbed to No. 9 after two games, moved to No. 6 the following week and now lands at the top spot.
Seaborn takes over No. 1 from St. Michael quarterback Gunner Rivers, who slips to No. 3 after being knocked out in the first quarter of the Cardinals’ ESPN season opener against Battle Ground Academy of Tennessee. Rivers, a North Carolina State commit, suffered a right knee injury and is expected to return before the playoffs.
Maplesville junior linebacker Nehemiah McCary, who is uncommitted, stays put at No. 2.
Seaborn’s rise matches the kind of season that has him closing in on one of the most impressive individual careers in Alabama high school history. The Alabama commit has only made his senior year look even louder than the first four, and those earlier seasons already included three state championships.
Through four games, Seaborn has completed 77 of 101 passes for 1,252 yards and 16 touchdowns without an interception. That works out to 313 yards and four touchdowns per game, and the schedule hasn’t exactly been soft - he’s done it against No.
2 Central-Phenix City, No. 1 Class 5A Clay-Chalkville, No.
2 Vestavia Hills and No. 6 Spain Park.
Earlier this month, Seaborn became the all-time passing yards leader in state history. He is also the leading candidate for Mr. Football, and now he sits atop Best in Bama.
The only new name on the list this week is James Clemens senior running back MJ Gideon. The Vanderbilt commit scored five touchdowns in the Jets’ 42-15 win over Gadsden City, earning his return to Best in Bama after being a fixture on the list as a junior.
Another mover is Prattville wide receiver Deshawn Hall, who gets a boost after scoring the game-winning touchdown last week against Hoover. The Auburn commit rises from No. 36 to No. 30.
The current Best in Bama list breaks down with 29 seniors, 15 juniors, two sophomores and four freshmen. On the commitment front, Alabama and Auburn each have five players on the list, while Oklahoma, Texas, Miami, Arkansas and Georgia Tech each have two. North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oregon, Florida, West Virginia, Clemson, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Baylor, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt each have one, and 19 remain uncommitted.
Thompson leads all schools with five players on the list. Williamson has four.
Prattville and Spain Park each have three. Benjamin Russell, Saraland, Central-Phenix City, Vigor, Selma and Orange Beach each have two.
The rest of the schools represented each have one.
By position, the list includes seven quarterbacks, three running backs, eight wide receivers, three tight ends, four offensive linemen, 14 defensive linemen, four linebackers and seven defensive backs.
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His availability matters because this is the kind of early test that can expose even small depth issues, especially for a team trying to blend new pieces into the offense. Florida State enters with its own turbulence after firing its athletic director, and Mike Norvells standing could be shaped by how his team looks against Alabama, which only adds a little more edge to a game already carrying plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Gets A Needed O-Line Boost Before Florida State
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The timing matters because Florida State brings a running game that will challenge Alabama on the other side of the ball, putting even more emphasis on field position, possession and overall control of the line of scrimmage. With a major opponent on deck, Alabama's ability to protect its quarterback and stay balanced on offense could shape the game, and Carroll's return at right guard gives the Tide a better chance to handle the physical demands ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Past Jeremy Pruitt Interest Is Suddenly Back In Focus
Jeremy Pruitts long-running fight with the NCAA came back into the spotlight this week when the Alabama Supreme Court heard oral arguments in his lawsuit against the organization. Pruitt is challenging whether the NCAA even had jurisdiction over his case in Alabama, keeping alive a legal battle that has hovered over college football since the penalties tied to his firing at Tennessee.
For Alabama, the interest is less about the courtroom drama than the ripple effect surrounding a familiar name from the programs recent past. Pruitt is seeking $100 million over the NCAA penalties, including a six-year show-cause order that has limited his employment options, and the justices will rule later. Until then, the case remains one of those unresolved threads that keeps pulling old ties back into the present. [Read more 🡒]