Alabama signees, commitment earn Gatorade Player of the Year honors

Gatorade announced its state player of the year recipients on Wednesday. The list included two signees and an Alabama commitment.

CHICAGO (January 3, 2023) -The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.

The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.

Julian Sayin, Alabama signee, California winner

The No. 1 quarterback per the On3 Sports Industry Player Rankings passed for 2,369 yards and 24 touchdowns during his senior season. Sayin completed 75.5-percent of his passing attempts. He also added 186 yards on the ground with four rushing touchdowns. He led his team to a 10-1 record before falling in the San Diego Section Open Division tournament semi-finals.

More from the Gatorade press release:

Sayin was the MVP of the Elite 11 Finals quarterback competition last summer and is a three-time Avocado League Offensive MVP. Sayin has volunteered locally with OAK (Oncology and Kids), a foundation that supports children with cancer. Sayin has maintained a weighted 4.08 GPA in the classroom.

BOL says:

The five-star plus+ signee arrived at Alabama last month for the start of Rose Bowl practice with the Crimson Tide. He was originally scheduled to play in the Under Armour All-America game, but decided to travel with the Alabama team to Pasadena. Sources close to the Alabama team raved about Sayin’s first few weeks of practice, and be was also mentioned by safety Malachi Moore as one who made a strong impression.

(Sayin is also one of three finalists for Gatorade National Player of the Year. The other finalists includes Florida QB signee DJ Lagway and ’26 five-star QB JuJu Lewis).

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Rico Scott, Alabama signee, Pennsylvania winner

Scott was outstanding during his final season at Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg, Pa.). He had 86 receptions for 1,353 yards with 23 touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown and kickoff return for another score after leading the Crusaders to the Class 4A state semi-finals. He had 66 receptions for 1,184 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior.

More from the Gatorade press release:

Scott has volunteered locally as a student ambassador at Bishop McDevitt. He has also donated his time as a youth football coach. Scott has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play football on scholarship at the University of Alabama this fall.

BOL says:

One of the most underrated players in Alabama’s signing class. Scott clocked a 4.43 40-yard dash at the Tide’s camp prior to his junior season. He was quickly one of the top wide receiver targets, and informed Coach Saban of his decision in the spring. Scott is one of the few players in Alabama’s class who did not enroll early. He will move to Tuscaloosa in late May after graduation.

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Ryan Williams, Alabama commitment, Alabama winner

Willams is a back-to-back winner as the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year after winning the award during the ’22 season. Williams accounted for 71 receptions for 1,320 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also had 269 yards with seven touchdowns, completed a touchdown pass a returned a kickoff and punt return for touchdowns. Williams helped lead Saraland to back-to-back state championship game appearances which included a win in ’22, but fell short to Clay-Chalkvlle in December.

More from the Gatorade Press Release:

He was the state’s 2022 Mr. Football winner. A member of the Saraland High student council, Williams has volunteered locally as part of multiple fundraising campaigns to support his school. He has also donated his time on behalf of the Special Olympics and as a youth football coach. Williams has maintained a weighted 3.47 GPA in the classroom.

BOL Says:

One of the best wide receiver and overall prospects to come out of the state in years. Williams announced his plans to reclassify to the ’24 class in December (a decision was actually made several months prior). He will take official visits to Alabama, Auburn and Texas prior to signing on February 9. Williams spoke with BOL about his plans and commitment status- READ HERE

Does Holmon Wiggins departure as Alabama’s wide receivers coach have an impact on Williams? BOL sheds additional light on the situation exclusively on the RoundTable- HERE

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More on the Gatorade Player of the Year Award (Press Release):

In its 39th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes, the award, which celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport, touting an all-star group of alumni that includes Emmitt Smith (1986-87, Escambia High School, Fla.), Peyton Manning (1993-94, Isidore Newman School, La.) and Jackson Arnold (2022-23, John H. Guyer High School, Texas).

As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $4.9 million across more than 1,600 organizations. To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate studentathletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at
facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.