Evaluations for 5 New Commitments

As the high school and college football seasons approach, numerous prospects across the country are ready to tie the knot on their recruitment and focus on the season ahead. In Alabama, several prospects have announced their commitments to play college ball across numerous levels. Here are 5 that caught my attention, plus a quick scouting report.   [player_tooltip player_id='130512' first='Perry' last='Thompson'] - 2024 - WR - Foley   Thompson made national headlines over the weekend when he flipped his commitment from Alabama to Auburn. Thompson weighs in at around 6'3 205 and exhibits an impressive blend of size and athleticism throughout his game. Thompson is an extremely physical receiver, showing the ability to shield off defenders and reel in the ball in tight coverage. He's also extremely tough to bring down in the open field. He has effortless speed and acceleration which allows him to exploit openings in the defense. With his larger frame, he is able to shed off tacklers and also has a solid stiff arm that he doesn't hesitate to use. Thompson doesn't flash super elite route running ability, but he can naturally create space with his speed. He is more of a vertical, downfield threat than he is over the middle of the field. He has a large catch radius and is able to go up to make acrobatic grabs downfield. After the catch, he has effortless speed and is able to turn a small opening in the defense into a touchdown. He is an elusive runner with great vision and endurance, frequently redirecting the play to find green grass. All in all, Thompson is one of the most elite WR prospects in the entire country. He should blossom into a star on Saturdays and has early-round NFL draft upside written all over him.   Projection: P5 WR1 with early-round NFL upside.   HUDL: <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Jm1hs ">http://www.hudl.com/v/2Jm1hs </a>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   [player_tooltip player_id='562161' first='Malcolm' last='Simmons'] - 2024 - WR - Benjamin Russell   [player_tooltip player_id='562161' first='Malcolm' last='Simmons'] was yet another big-time WR commit over the weekend for Auburn, and he too has serious upside. Simmons is still raw and honing in on his route running and football-specific movements, but he is an elite athlete with scheme versatility and breakaway speed. Simmons frequently lined up at RB as a junior, making plays out of the backfield as both a runner and receiver. As a runner, he showed the ability to dissect running lanes and get north and south. As a receiver, he was often a mismatch problem against LBs and safeties as he could easily accelerate right by them. At receiver when lined up against faster athletes, he is often still too overwhelming and fast for most defenders to hold him at bay. When the ball is in the air, Simmons shows good ball-tracking skills and is able to accelerate to catch up to the ball. Overthrowing Simmons is not easy. Most of his damage is done after the catch, where he has the speed to turn a small gain into a touchdown. Again, Simmons is raw and has tons of growth ahead of him. However, his sheer speed and athleticism make him a TD threat with the ball in his hand. I expect him to contribute early on special teams and have the ability to emerge as a super productive receiver before all is said and done.   Projection: Productive P5 WR who can contribute immediately on special teams.   HUDL: <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Kecy3">http://www.hudl.com/v/2Kecy3</a>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   [player_tooltip player_id='717922' first='Nathan' last='Jennings'] - 2024 - DE - James Clemens   Jennings is a projectable athlete on the defensive front that recently committed to South Alabama over several other D1 offers. Jennings offers a rare body type at 6'5 260 with exceptional length. He has a proportional frame and looks like he could carry around 290 pounds pretty well. Jennings isn't a super explosive athlete off the snap, but he carries his weight well and plays with good instincts. He has excellent awareness of his length, locking out against blockers and always giving himself plenty of room to operate. He is a reactive player in the run game that plays with good discipline, never overpursuing and gives himself a chance to make a tackle on any given play. He has a large tackling radius and good pursuit skills which allows him to chase down ball carriers and absorb RBs in the gaps. Jennings spent most of his time at DE, but he has the frame to grow out and contribute on the interior of the defensive line. Wherever he ends up on the defensive front, Jennings has the length and upside to develop into a productive defender.   Projection: Productive FBS starter   HUDL: <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2J3CbK">http://www.hudl.com/v/2J3CbK</a>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   [player_tooltip player_id='1098533' first='Kamore' last='Harris'] - 2024 - ATH - B.B. Comer Memorial   Harris is a super intriguing two-way prospect with a unique skill set. Harris comes in weighing all of 6'1 235. He splits time pretty evenly between RB and LB, showing some upside and production potential at both spots. At RB, he has surprising burst and acceleration for a prospect of his size. He is a decisive runner who can pick out running lanes and shift into another gear once he finds an opening. As you could imagine, he is a bowling ball-style runner who is a handful to stop once he gets going. He can barrel over defenders and drag them downfield to fight for extra yards. At LB, I believe he has the most potential for production. He is a true thumper in the middle of the defense, setting the tone in the gaps with authority. However, he also has outstanding pursuit skills and shows good chase ability. As a tackler, he is exceptionally physical and has the strength to ragdoll ball carriers. Harris is yet another rare body type and instantly improves the floor of whatever position group he joins.   Projection: Productive FBS starter   HUDL: <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2JDi5y">http://www.hudl.com/v/2JDi5y</a>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   Ameyr Adams - 2024 - ATH - Fairhope   Adams is a physical corner with solid measurables. At 6'0 180, he certainly checks the boxes to play corner at the D1 level, which checks out as he recently committed to North Alabama. Adams has the ability to make plays all over the field as he is a downhill defender who is comfortable playing in the box. In fact, I would say his best attribute is his ability to navigate through blockers and close on the football with aggression. As a defender, he can sometimes get beat off the snap and is forced to recover, but he does a good job of playing through the hands of the receiver and finishing on the ball to break up passes. He does show good discipline in zone coverage and can patrol a lot of ground. He has decent ball skills, but he is more of a "go for the big hit" type defender. In my eyes, I view Adams as a physical corner prospect who might be better suited to slide over to Nickel, where his skills seem to be best suited.   Projection: D1 starter   HUDL: <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2JnYNP">http://www.hudl.com/v/2JnYNP</a>

As the high school and college football seasons approach, numerous prospects across the country are ready to tie the knot on their recruitment and focus on the season ahead. In Alabama, several prospects have announced their commitments to play college ball across numerous levels. Here are 5 that caught my attention, plus a quick scouting report.