It’s not often a player can be called a Fast Riser when he’s already sitting near the top of the state’s prospect board, but Ramsay defensive lineman Karlos May has pushed himself into that rare space anyway.
The Ohio State commit made his presence felt Thursday night in Ramsay’s 18-7 win over Calera, a result that moved the Rams to 4-1. May delivered the game’s biggest swing when he took a teammate’s strip sack and raced 50 yards for a fumble return touchdown. At 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, the senior known as “Big Los” was never threatened from behind on the way to the end zone.
May has been a fixture in Best in Bama, AL.com’s statewide rankings of the top high school football prospects regardless of classification or graduating class. He is currently No. 4, which also makes him the highest-ranked lineman in Alabama, narrowly ahead of Thompson defensive end and Oregon commit Cam Pritchett.
There’s also movement worth tracking among three players who finished last season at the top of those rankings.
In Alabama’s win over Florida State, CD Morgan of Benjamin Russell High School hauled in his first catch and scored his first touchdown. EJ Crowell, out of Jackson High School, found the end zone for the third game in a row to open his college career.
Meanwhile, DeShawn Spencer of Saraland High School caught a touchdown pass for the second straight game in Auburn’s loss to Florida.
Crowell finished No. 1 in last year’s final Best in Bama rankings, with Morgan at No. 4 and Spencer at No. 7. Spencer had been committed to Duke and was largely flying under the radar with college recruiters until Alex Golesh arrived at Auburn and offered him a scholarship to the player who was the definition of Fast Riser a year ago.
Golesh was one of the few coaches who saw it coming and likely would have flipped Spencer to South Florida if he had not taken the Auburn job.
The next Best in Bama weekly update arrives Thursday, and it will include a pair of huge prospects climbing the board.
In Other News...
Alabama Heads To South Carolina With Problems It Can't Keep Ignoring
Alabama left its Week 3 win over Florida State with plenty to like on offense, especially the way Keelon Russell helped fuel nine straight scoring drives. The Crimson Tide moved the ball with purpose and rhythm, enough to suggest the attack is settling in under pressure.
But the bigger concern is hard to ignore. Alabamas defense gave up nearly 500 yards and 36 points, and coordinator Kane Wommack drew criticism as the team continues to wrestle with slow starts, explosive plays and third-down stops. Those issues will be front and center again as the Tide head to South Carolina, where the margin for error is only going to shrink. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Landed In A Tough Fight For A Long SEC Corner
Preston Glascos recruitment has quickly moved into SEC territory after the cornerback from Grayson, Georgia, decommitted from UConn and reopened his process. Alabama is now in the mix along with South Carolina, and the Tide have already had him on campus during the season as they look to stay aggressive on the trail for defensive back help.
Glasco has also made in-season visits to Georgia and South Carolina, and an official visit to Alabama is on the schedule. With a 3-star rating from 247Sports, he is the kind of prospect that can draw a wide range of attention once the door opens again, and Alabama appears to be fighting through a competitive field for a long look at where he lands next. [Read more 🡒]
What Alabama Coaches Said After A Fan Base Flashpoint
The noise around Alabama this week has not just been coming from the sideline. Ryan Grubb addressed the fan booing in his press conference, then later apologized for his comments about Alabama fans, a reminder of how quickly frustration can spill beyond the field when expectations in Tuscaloosa stay this high. Alongside that backdrop, the staff kept its focus on football as updates on player availability for the upcoming games came into view and Conor Talty was recognized as the Southeastern Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.
Kane Wommack spent his press conference digging into the specifics of the defense, going play by play and pointing to execution issues as the Tide worked through a rough stretch on that side of the ball. For Alabama, the week has become about more than just fixing assignments and sharpening performance, because the public temperature around the program is part of the conversation now too, and the next round of answers will matter just as much as the last one. [Read more 🡒]