Five Players to Watch: Gardendale

Gardendale has solidified itself as a perennial playoff team in Class 6A-Region 6. The Rockets have made seven consecutive playoff appearances with the last three coming under head coach Chad Eads. Gardendale has made it to the second round in each of his three seasons and has the talent to compete for a region title in 2021. The Gardendale defense features two of Alabama’s top players in the class of 2023 in DE [player_tooltip player_id="125528" first="Kelby" last="Collins"] and DB [player_tooltip player_id="125525" first="Dallas" last="Young"]. They will lead one of the best defenses in Class 6A this season. [player_tooltip player_id="125528" first="Kelby" last="Collins"] | DE | Class of 2023 Collins is one of the top players in Alabama for the class of 2023. At 6’5" and 250 pounds, he already has the look of a highly rated Division 1 prospect. Collins has an explosive first step off the line of scrimmage which allows him to penetrate the backfield with ease. His size and quickness allow him to gain leverage on offensive linemen in an instant. He is extremely disruptive in the run game and will occasionally lineup on the interior of the defensive front.  Collins already holds offers from numerous high major schools including Alabama, Clemson, Auburn, Georgia, among others. [player_tooltip player_id="125525" first="Dallas" last="Young"] | DB | Class of 2023 Young is one of Alabama’s top defensive back prospects for the class of 2023. Listed at 6’1" and 180 pounds, he has the size that you would see in a Power 5 corner especially considering he is just entering his junior season. His size and athleticism stand out immediately on film. He excels in man-to-man coverage with his technique and physicality. Young does a great job of jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage and forcing them to reroute. Gardendale has no problem putting Young on an island and allowing him to shut down an opposing team's best receiver. Young has received several Power 5 offers including Georgia, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Florida State, among others. LT Sanders | RB | Class of 2022 Sanders is coming off a highly productive junior season with 1,209 yards rushing and 655 yards receiving with 19 total touchdowns. He is an extremely versatile running back with the ability to lineup in the slot to expose mismatches in the passing game. Sanders has excellent vision and acceleration when he bursts into the open field. At 5’9" and 195 pounds, he is very physical and tough to bring down with just one defender. Sanders holds offers from South Florida, Georgia Southern, Western Kentucky, MTSU, Arkansas State, among others. He will likely be one of the most productive running backs in Class 6A this season. [player_tooltip player_id="129504" first="Nathan" last="Wright"] | LT/RT | Class of 2022 | After two years of starting at right tackle, Wright played left tackle in Gardendale’s spring game against Hoover. He looks to anchor the Rockets offensive line in his senior season after earning first-team all-region honors as a junior. At 6’3" and 270 pounds, Wright is very fundamentally sound and excels at getting to the second level of the defense to pick up blocks downfield. He possesses quick feet to keep his positioning on edge rushers. One quality that stands out on film is that he always finishes his blocks and never gives up on the play. Wright earned his first offer from Kennesaw State recently and I expect him to earn several more during his senior season. Caleb Harrell | DT | Class of 2022 | Harrell earned all-region honors during his junior season. At 6’2" and 300 pounds, Harrell excels at shedding blocks and making tackles in the run game. His strength makes him hard to block one on one. He can push the pocket to get pressure on the QB and force him to make errant throws. With Harrell, Collins, and fellow lineman Isaiah Robinson, Gardendale has one of the strongest defensive fronts in class 6A. Harrell holds offers from Birmingham Southern, Miles, and Campbellsville. He is an under-the-radar player that will have more offers rolling in throughout his senior season.