6A Preseason All-State Defense

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We check out our selections for our Preseason 6A All-State Defense</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">DEFENSIVE LINE</span></em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='324479' first='James' last='Smith']-Carver</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='324479' first='James' last='Smith'] has been dominant throughout his whole high school career- and after a season at the nationally renowned powerhouse of IMG Academy, Smith is making his return to Alabama 6A back where he started at Carver. Smith is unstoppable and has been highly recruited for several years with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and more.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='216858' first='Jourdin' last='Crawford']-Parker</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a stellar first season at Jackson-Olin, Crawford grabbed both our, and many top-tier schools' attention last fall with his play. Crawford just recently transferred to Parker, and already has offers from Michigan, Oklahoma, Mississippi State, and more- with his play, watch that list grow more and more.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='125528' first='Kelby' last='Collins']- Gardendale</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='125528' first='Kelby' last='Collins'] is another top-tier defensive lineman in the nation and has been wreaking havoc in opponents' backfields for the last three years. Last fall, Collins had yet another dominant season for Gardendale- recording 75 total tackles, 20 TFL, 12 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries on the season. Back in May, Collins set a top 5 of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, and South Carolina- it'll be exciting to see where he ends up once he announces his commitment this weekend!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='125534' first='Yhonzae' last='Pierre']-Eufaula</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='125534' first='Yhonzae' last='Pierre'] has been destructive in his time at Eufaula, and is set up for a massive senior season this fall. In total, his junior season featured 55 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks last fall. In mid-April, Pierre decided to stay instate and committed to Alabama-be sure to keep an eye on him this fall!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">LINEBACKERS</span></em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='125532' first='Qua' last='Russaw']- Carver</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='125532' first='Qua' last='Russaw'] is one of the best defensive players in the nation and a top-tier prospect at outside linebacker. Last season, Russaw had a phenomenal year- recording a ridiculous 130 total tackles, 27.5 TFLs, and 16 sacks on the season. Just like his teammate and other All-State selection, [player_tooltip player_id='324479' first='James' last='Smith'], Russaw has been highly recruited for a while now, with offers from tons of great programs like Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, and more. Keep an eye on this Carver defense- they're going to cause chaos.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='130511' first='Demarcus' last='Riddick']-Chilton County</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='130511' first='Demarcus' last='Riddick'] is a 2024 prospect out at Chilton County that has been making a huge name for himself the last few seasons. Versatile is the perfect way to describe Riddick, he plays in all three phases of the game and is an incredibly well-rounded linebacker. With his ability to cover, pursue, and rush the passer, Riddick has become a national recruit and has received offers from many top-tier programs across the nation like Georgia, LSU, Texas A&amp;M, and more.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">DEFENSIVE BACKS</span></em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='132050' first='Jaylen' last='Mbakwe']-Clay Chalkville</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='132050' first='Jaylen' last='Mbakwe'] is another highly talented and recruited 2024 that made our All-State roster last year and rightfully has kept his place this year. Mbakwe is an elite-level prospect- with his speed, ball skills, and coverage abilities, he is already a lockdown corner as he heads into his junior season. Recently, Mbakwe made the decision to go ahead and stay instate at the next level when he committed to Alabama at the end of July.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='282020' first='Travaris' last='Banks']- Northridge</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='282020' first='Travaris' last='Banks'] had a terrific sophomore season last fall and has had an even better offseason on the recruiting trail within the last few months. Banks is a tall, physical, fast DB with a ton of potential for Northridge- tons of schools have taken notice of his skills recently, as he has added offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Auburn, and more since the start of this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='125525' first='Dallas' last='Young']-Gardendale</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='125525' first='Dallas' last='Young'] is another DB making his return to our All State roster this season as he heads into a huge senior season in the Gardendale secondary this fall. Young has been desttructive all throuhgout his career, and picked up a lot of collegiate attention across the nation before making the decision to commit to Arkansas last December. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='290494' first='TJ' last='Metcalf']-Pinson Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='290494' first='TJ' last='Metcalf'] has been a talented safety in the 6A for awhile now, and it's only right that he makes his debut this year as an All State selection. Metcalf has a ton of valuable skills with his speed, strenth, ball skills, and tackling- and just like [player_tooltip player_id='125525' first='Dallas' last='Young'], Metcalf recently pledged his committment to Arkansas- giving them two extremely talented DBs in their 2023 class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->