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...
Auburn Walks Into Starkville With Mississippi State Fans Checking Out
Saturdays trip to Davis Wade Stadium arrives with a different kind of buzz around Starkville, and not much of it is good for the home side. Mississippi States final SEC home game of the season is set for 11 a.m. CT, but the market around the matchup has cooled sharply, with secondary-ticket prices falling well below where they were earlier in the year as the Bulldogs recent losing streak has taken a toll on demand.
For Auburn, it is a chance to walk into a venue where the Tigers have generally done well and do it with Alex Golesh making his first visit to Starkville as head coach. The setting still matters, especially with an SEC road game on the schedule, but the atmosphere around this one suggests a fan base more resigned than energized as the home slate winds down. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Gets A Timely Boost Before A Tricky SEC Road Test
Auburn got a little healthier at the right time heading into a tricky SEC road trip to Mississippi State, with Jeremiah Koger, Andre Jordan Jr. and Sylvester Smith-Reed all back on the active list after sitting out the previous game. The update gives the Tigers a better chance to rotate bodies and keep some continuity together as they try to handle a conference opponent that can make life difficult at home.
The rest of the report still leaves a few moving parts for Auburn to monitor, though, with Bryce Deas out for the season after surgery, Elijah Melendez cleared to play and DeMarcus Riddick listed as questionable. Mississippi State has its own availability concerns, including six players out and quarterback Kamario Taylor among them, but two defensive starters are probable, so Auburn will still have to earn this one the hard way. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Recruiting Momentum Now Faces Its Biggest Test Before December
Auburns recruiting run picked up another jolt this week with the addition of four-star offensive lineman Jatori Williams, a win that gives the Tigers more traction in their 2027 class and a little more credibility on the trail. Williams had previously been committed to Alabama and Miami before choosing Auburn over Georgia and Florida State, a reminder that the Tigers are still capable of landing prized prospects in a crowded regional battle.
The commitment also nudged Auburns class up to No. 11 nationally with 23 recruits, but the real challenge is still ahead. Coach Alex Golesh has made it clear that keeping in-state talent home matters, and the next stretch will be about holding that momentum through the early signing period in December, when the work of building a class can change fast. [Read more 🡒]