Alabama 5-star commits Jaylen Mbakwe, Ryan Williams shine in state title game
The Alabama faithful got a glimpse into the future of Crimson Tide football on Friday night, coincidentally at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
Pinson Clay-Chalkville defeated Saraland 31-28 in a thriller for the Alabama 6A state championship. All eight touchdowns scored came via a pair of Bama commits — Clay-Chalkville’s five-star athlete Jaylen Mbakwe and Saraland’s Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver Ryan Williams.
Mbakwe operated as a do-it-all quarterback, totaling 130 yards and three TDs on the ground while also throwing for 152 yards and a score. Williams tallied 232 receiving yards and two TDs on 11 catches, ran for a score and also took an 85-yard kickoff to the end zone.
A late field goal gave Clay-Chalkville the lead in the fourth quarter. Saraland had the ball inside the red zone but were stopped short on the final play of the game. The win gave Clay-Chalkville its second state title in the last three years while also denying Saraland its second consecutive championship.
Mbakwe is the No. 17 overall prospect and top-ranked athlete in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s one of six top-100 recruits in the Crimson Tide’s 2024 recruiting class.
Williams is the No. 4 recruit and top-ranked WR in the 2025 cycle, though talk of the 6-foot, 155-pounder reclassifying to the 2024 cycle has picked up steam. Williams has teased an announcement for Dec. 11.
“I’m very excited. I can’t wait to get to work and show Bama fans what I can bring to the table,” Mbakwe told BamaOnLine in November. “On the field, I bring leadership, hard work, having fun, and discipline. I’ve got speed, smarts, and ball skills. I’m very big on small details and technique. Off the field, I’m a laid-back person. I like to interact with the fans.”
Williams, like Mbakwe, committed to Alabama back in 2022. He’s stayed sturdy in his pledge to the Crimson Tide, though other SEC schools — primarily Auburn — have tried to flip away from T-Town. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Friday night.
“Hugh Freeze has got his claws in this kid, he wants Ryan Williams just as badly as he wants Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson, Malcolm Simmons and Bryce Cain,” Auburn insider Jeffrey Lee said on The Inside Scoop. “So there is some quiet confidence at Auburn that it can get done. The good thing is, at least for Auburn, is he’s thinking about reclassifying.”