The recruiting spotlight is shining on Garrett-Harrison Stadium Friday night, where Central-Phenix City and Baker will meet in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs. That’s where two of the state’s most electric young playmakers will be on display, but the biggest recruiting headline this week belongs to a senior offensive lineman who just changed the picture for Auburn.
Jatori “JT” Williams committed to Auburn on Tuesday, giving Alex Golesh and his new staff the in-state win they’ve been chasing. It matters even more because Williams plays a spot that has been a problem area for the Tigers for years. Williams is No. 14 in Best in Bama, AL.com’s ranking of the top high school football prospects in the state regardless of classification or graduating class.
At 6-foot-4 and 335 pounds, Williams lines up at tackle for Central-Phenix City, though he is expected to play guard at the next level. His coach, Cody Flournoy, said the senior has kept raising his level.
“Jatori is a bigger size human, a true SEC type guy,” said Central-Phenix City coach Cody Flournoy. “And one of my favorite things as his coach is that he’s playing harder as a senior.
Each week, opposing teams are messaging him about what they’re going to do versus JT and he’s met every challenge. And as for his playing future, you haven’t seen the best version of him yet.
He has a high ceiling.”
Williams had previously been committed to Alabama and Miami. With his decision, Auburn now sits alongside Alabama with six pledges from the Best in Bama rankings. Texas is the only other school with as many as three.
The commitment also tightened the numbers in the state’s top 50. Williams was the last of the 30 seniors who were still uncommitted, and now 33 of the 50 Best in Bama recruits are off the board. There is still strong speculation that Oxford offensive lineman Bryson Sanderson may soon flip from Memphis to Alabama.
While Williams was making headlines on the recruiting trail, Central-Phenix City sophomore Braylen Averett and Baker junior Jamien Pryor also moved up in this week’s rankings after strong performances.
Averett scored two touchdowns in a 64-46 win that ended Clay-Chalkville’s 24-game home winning streak.
There’s also a strange little recruiting wrinkle at Central-Phenix City: the school may have the state’s best sophomore prospects in both football and basketball, and both happen to be named Braylen. Braylen Alexander, the son of former Alabama wide receiver Earl Alexander, is drawing as much attention in basketball as Averett is in football.
The updated Best in Bama list now shows 30 seniors, 15 juniors and three freshmen among the 50 prospects. Alabama and Auburn each have six commitments from the group, followed by Texas with three.
Oklahoma, Florida and Arkansas each have two. Ohio State, Oregon, North Carolina State, Miami, West Virginia, Clemson, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt and Memphis each have one.
By school, Thompson and Prattville lead the way with four apiece. Williamson and Spain Park have three each.
Saraland, Vigor, Central-Phenix City, Orange Beach and Selma each have two. The rest of the list is spread across a long line of one-commitment schools, including Baker, Oxford, Auburn and Clay-Chalkville.
The position breakdown shows how balanced the class is across the board: seven quarterbacks, three running backs, eight wide receivers, three tight ends, five offensive linemen, eight defensive linemen, four edge players, five linebackers and seven defensive backs.
In Other News...
Alabama Recruiting Debate May Be Bigger Than This Year's Class
Andrew Ivins early read on Alabamas 2027 recruiting class was uneasy enough to raise eyebrows, but the 247Sports director of scouting has since come around on the bigger picture. The current class sits at No. 32, which is the lowest ranking Alabama has posted in the 247Sports era, yet Ivins sees a path that fits the modern college football landscape: stockpile a larger group of high school prospects and then use the transfer portal to fill in the gaps.
Greg Byrnes comments suggest that approach may not stop with one cycle. Alabamas athletic director has already pointed toward a heavier emphasis on high school recruiting in 2028, a sign the program may be recalibrating how it builds its roster for the long haul. The debate now is less about one class than whether Alabama is trying to get ahead of a shifting model before everyone else catches up. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Suddenly Has A Real Shot To Steal Elite Receiver Commit
Alabama has positioned itself for a late swing at one of the more intriguing receiver recruits on its board, as 4-star wideout Jaden Upshaw is set to be in Tuscaloosa for the Iron Bowl while he weighs his final college choice ahead of the early signing period. Upshaw is currently committed to Texas A&M, but his continued contact with Alabama and a previous campus visit suggest the Tide have not faded from his thinking.
For Alabama, the timing matters. The program is still pushing to add Upshaw to its 2027 recruiting class, and getting him back on campus for one of the seasons biggest games gives the staff another chance to make its case. With his decision still open enough for Alabama to stay in the mix, this now looks like a situation worth watching closely as signing day approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Got The Keelon Russell News Fans Needed
Keelon Russell gave Alabama exactly what it needed in the win over LSU, playing through an injury and still accounting for 216 total yards and three touchdowns. For a team sitting No. 3 nationally and pushing toward a College Football Playoff berth, the freshman quarterbacks availability has become one of the biggest storylines on the roster.
The early sign was encouraging, with Russell listed as probable in the SECs initial availability report for the upcoming game against Vanderbilt. Alabama does not need much drama at this stage of the season, but getting its young quarterback trending in the right direction is the kind of update that can steady a team with postseason goals still very much in reach. [Read more 🡒]