Following the Future: Alabama commits in action (Sept. 14-16)
It’s mid-September, which means that a month of high school football has already passed us by. The Alabama Crimson Tide’s pledges are several weeks into their respective seasons, with 10 of them currently being a part of undefeated teams.
In the story below, BamaOnLine provides a preview of which Alabama commits are playing over the next few days.
2024 defensive back commit Jameer Grimsley is not expected to play due to a foot injury suffered last month. Justin Okoronkwo, Bama’s linebacker commit out of Germany, has wrapped up his season. Fellow linebacker pledge Cayden Jones and cornerback commit Zabien Brown have byes this week.
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Five-Star Plus+ QB Julian Sayin, Carlsbad (Calif.) High School: Carlsbad (4-0) is looking to continue their dominant start to the season when they take on Ramona High School this Friday at 9:00 p.m. Central Time. The Lancers have won each game by an average of 38.25 points per contest.
So far this season, Sayin has thrown for 873 yards and 11 touchdowns while completing 78.8 percent of his passes, according to MaxPreps. More importantly, he has thrown zero interceptions.
Five-Star ATH Jaylen Mbakwe, Pinson (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville High School: Alabama’s other five-star commit has also led his team to an undefeated start as their starting quarterback. The Jaylen Mbakwe-led Clay-Chalkville Cougars are currently 3-0 ahead of a home game versus Pinson Valley on Friday.
Kickoff for that one is set for 7:00 p.m. Central.
Click HERE to watch Mbakwe’s incredible rushing touchdown from last week!
TE Caleb Odom and OL Zykie Helton (2026), Carrollton (Ga.) High School: Carrollton (3-1) has pulled off three straight victories after dropping their season opener to Langston Hughes. They’ve outscored their opponents 132-13 in the past three games. They’ll next take on Jenkins High School on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Central.
Odom has 20 receptions for 334 yards and five touchdowns so far this season, according to MaxPreps.
OL Casey Poe, Lindale (Tx.) High School: Lindale (1-2) is looking to rebound after back-to-back losses this month. They’ll travel to Gilmer High School this week on Friday, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. Central.
DB Peyton Woodyard, Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco: Woodyard and his teammates at St. John Bosco (4-0) will travel to Hawaii this week. There, they’ll face off against Kahuku High School on Saturday at 9:00 p.m. Central.
Last week, Mater Dei (with Zabien Brown) beat Kahuku 55-8 at home.
DL Jeremiah Beaman, Birmingham (Ala.) Parker High School: On Thursday, Parker High School (3-0) will play host to Mortimer Jordan. The game has a kickoff time of 7:00 p.m. Central.
Alabama DL commit says the 2024 class has a chip on their shoulders (On3+)
LB Sterling Dixon, Spanish Fort (Ala.) High School, and Five-Star Plus+ WR Ryan Williams and four-star DL Antonio Coleman, Saraland (Ala.) High School: One of the most intriguing high school games for Alabama football fans this fall will take place on Friday. Spanish Fort High School (2-1) is set to play Saraland High School (3-0) at home. Kickoff for that one is set for 7:00 p.m. Central.
Per MaxPreps, Sterling Dixon has 48 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, and three sacks this season.
WR Amari Jefferson, Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor School: Like Carrollton, Baylor School has won three straight after losing their first game. Baylor will next take on Christian Brothers on the road on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Central.
WR Rico Scott, Harrisburg (Penn.) Bishop McDevitt: Bishop McDevitt (3-0) is undefeated to start the season after winning their first three games. They’ll next play host to Palmyra on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. Central after beating La Salle College by 26 points last week.
DL Isaia Faga and DB Red Morgan, Phenix City (Ala.) Central High School: The Central High School Red Devils are also undefeated to start the season. Central (3-0) will face off against Opelika High on Friday, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. Central.
OL Williams Sanders, Brookwood (Ala.) High School: Brookwood (1-2) will head to Central High School in Tuscaloosa for a 7:00 p.m. CST game on Friday.
DB Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., Gadsden City (Ala.) High School: Gadsden City will play host to Fort Payne on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Central. The Titans are 2-1 on the season.
OL Joseph Ionata, Clearwater (Fla.) Calvary Christian: Calvary Christian (1-1) travels to Newberry this week as they’ll look to bounce back after suffering a 56-34 loss to Carrollwood Day. Their upcoming game is set for a 6:00 p.m. Central kickoff.
TE Jay Lindsey, Butler (Ala.) Patrician Academy: Patrician Academy (2-2) travels to Sparta Academy on Friday, with kickoff being scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central.
2025 Alabama Commitments
WR Jaime Ffrench, Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin High School: The Mandarin Mustangs are off to a 3-0 start to the season. Jaime Ffrench has been exceptional so far this year, recording 14 receptions for 370 yards and five touchdowns, per MaxPreps.
Mandarin will look to stay undefeated when they head on the road to Atlantic Coast this Friday. Kickoff will be 5:30 p.m. Central.
OL Mason Short, Evans (Ga.) High School: Evans (1-2) High School hits the road on Friday for a matchup with Strom Thurmond at 6:30 p.m. Central.
RB Anthony Rogers, IMG Academy in Bradenton (Fla.): IMG Academy will have their first home game of the season this Friday. The Ascenders will take on Glenville High School, which features Ohio State cornerback commit Bryce West. That game has a kickoff time of 6:00 p.m. Central.
OL Dontrell Glover, Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes: Langston Hughes (2-1) returns to the gridiron after a bye week. The Panthers will travel to New Manchester on Friday, with that game’s kickoff time being 6:30 p.m. Central.
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