Alabama commit, multiple signees to participate in UA All-America Game
The high school football seasons for all of Alabama’s Class of 2024 commitments and signees ended either in November or earlier this month.
Although this was the last time that they would strap up the pads for their respective schools, some still have a game to be played next month. On Wednesday, Jan. 3, four future Alabama Crimson Tide football players are expected to take part in the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando (Fla.). Those will be Cayden Jones, Jaylen Mbakwe, Kevin Riley, and Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver pledge Ryan Williams.
Before diving into the players participating in the event, there are notes regarding a couple of Alabama signees who were previously expected to play in next week’s game.
Quarterback Julian Sayin and tight end Caleb Odom both arrived in Tuscaloosa two weekends ago for the start of bowl prep. Given the schedule of practice and the Michigan contest on Monday, Odom opted out of the Under Armour game. Sayin informed BOL on Tuesday that he is also not likely to participate in the game in Orlando.
In the story below, BamaOnLine previews next week’s game and what needs to be known about the event.
A breakdown of the Alabama presence in Orlando this week
Ryan Williams: Of the four participants in this game that Alabama fans will be paying close attention to, Williams was the only one who did not sign his Letter of Intent last week. Williams, who reclassified up to the 2024 class on Dec. 11, plans to sign on Feb. 9, his birthday. He recently spoke with BOL about his recruitment and future visit plans HERE.
Williams camped at the Under Armour Atlanta camp in both February 2022 and February 2023. He earned an invite to next week’s game after his first showcase. In the second event, Williams earned On3 MVP honors over an impressive collection of talent, including Auburn wide receiver signee Cam Coleman.
With Coleman, Williams, and other top wide receivers participating in bowl games next month, it will certainly impact the final rankings at the position. After his reclassification, Williams checks in as the No. 3 wideout in the 2024 On300.
Jaylen Mbakwe: As was the case with Williams, Mbakwe earned an Under Armour All-America Game invite back in early 2022. He’s been on the national radar for quite some time, earning a spot in the On3 Top 100 Watch List during his sophomore season and debuting at No. 4 overall in the initial 2024 On300.
Mbakwe is No. 23 overall and the No. 2 cornerback in the latest 2024 On300. He will have a chance to improve his stock even more during his time in Orlando this upcoming weekend. If the rankings were finalized today, Mbakwe would be a five-star by all rankings services except one.
The Alabama native is fresh off winning his second state title with Clay-Chalkville back on Dec. 8.
Kevin Riley: Riley is the latest prospect to join Alabama’s 2024 class after flipping from Miami to Bama last Wednesday. The Tuscaloosa product had been committed to the Hurricanes since June. A push from the Crimson Tide and an official visit the weekend before the Early Signing Period, however, helped to put Nick Saban‘s program over the top.
The top-100 recruit committed to the Under Armour Game back in April of this year. It will be an important set of days for evaluating Riley as he had not been heavily present on the camp circuit throughout high school. Riley currently checks in as the No. 3 running back in the Class of 2024.
Cayden Jones: Cayden Jones committed to the Under Armour Game back in March 2022. As is the case with Riley, this will be a key opportunity for him — from a rankings perspective — given the lack of in-person evaluation opportunities with Jones in years prior. He has, however, shown out at Alabama’s camps. His June 2022 performance led to an offer earlier this year. The staff was also highly impressed by his recent outing this past June.
Jones was stellar on both sides of the ball in his senior season. He ended up winning the Western Football Conference Athlete of the Year. He was also named one of 12 semifinalists for the Dick Butkus Award.
As for the schedule of this event, it goes as follows. There will be a media day at the Marriott World Center on Friday from 10:30 A.M. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern. There will then be practices on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Wednesday’s game will take place at 4:00 p.m. Eastern at Camping World Stadium.
That game will be broadcasted on ESPN.
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