Pair of Alabama DB signees earn 5-star status in final On3 Industry Rankings

Despite Nick Saban’s retirement earlier this month, Alabama will still finish with one of the nation’s elite classes in the On3 Industry Football Team Recruiting Rankings.

The group includes four five-star prospects — three of whom are projected to play in the secondary for new head coach Kalen DeBoer. Pinson (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe is one of them and has been considered a five-star recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking for much of the fall and winter.

But two other signees, cornerbacks Zay Mincey and Zabien Brown, earned their coveted fifth stars on Monday as On3 and ESPN both released their final 2024 rankings.

Brown committed to the Crimson Tide in July over USC and Ohio State, but really saw his stock blow up after a strong performance at the All-American Bowl earlier this month. In the final rankings, he finishes as the nation’s No. 27 recruit and No. 4 cornerback.

Crimson Tide landing a big late riser

The 6-foot, 180-pounder was named a top overall performer after his performance throughout the week in San Antonio. On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power wrote this about him:

“While Zay Mincey looked to be the most gifted cornerback at the All-American Bowl, his fellow Alabama signee Zabien Brown made a case as the most technical cover man. Brown, who starred at SoCal powerhouse Mater Dei, came to San Antonio with an easily recognizable polish in coverage. He was the On3 MVP on Day 3 of practice, turning in a very strong showing in 1-on-1’s and 7-on-7.

“At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Brown has good stature and length. He operates in a controlled and coordinated manner and rarely found himself out of position throughout the week. We saw the Crimson Tide signee get his hands on several passes in practice and he made a few plays in coverage during Saturday’s game, as well. He had no trouble adjusting to the speed of the top wide receivers on hand. The technical acuity and experience along with his good size points to a high floor and a prospect who could push for early playing time at the college level if necessary.”

Mincey cements himself as an elite cornerback

The 6-foot-2, Mincey, meanwhile, has been someone On3 was higher than the rest of the recruiting industry on for most of the year. Others caught up after a strong senior season and performance at the All-American Bowl as well, with 247Sports.com also naming him a five-star in addition to On3’s own rankings. He finishes the cycle as the nation’s No. 24 prospect and No. 3 corner.

“Zay Mincey has the best pure physical traits among top corners in the 2024 cycle,” Power wrote about him on Monday. “Checking in at around 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with outstanding length, he’s a plus athlete. A guy who is a multi-sport athlete, strong triple-jumper, tests very well in the combine setting and is also a good basketball player. He was considered a safety throughout much of his recruitment, but played as a big boundary corner as a senior and we think he has very good upside there.

… He was a top corner prospect for us at the All-American Bowl, got better as the week went on, and I think he’s a guy that, given his pure physical ability, is just scratching the surface in his potential. His best football is certainly ahead of him and I think he’s going to take off once he gets in a college program.”