Following the Future: Alabama commits in action (Sept. 21-22)

Future members of the Alabama Crimson Tide’s football program are approaching the midpoint of their respective 2023 seasons. There are some anticipated matchups this week, including a couple of games featuring an Alabama commit competing against a priority Class of 2025 target.

In the story below, BamaOnLine provides a preview of which Alabama commits are playing over the next few days.

2024 defensive back pledge Jameer Grimsley will not play due to a foot injury suffered last month; he’s aiming for late October to return to the gridiron. Justin Okoronkwo, Bama’s linebacker commit out of Germany, has wrapped up his season. California-based commits Julian Sayin and Peyton Woodyard, as well as IMG Academy’s Anthony Rogers, have byes this week.

Five-star QB Julian Sayin talks Alabama season, quarterbacks (On3+)

Five-Star ATH Jaylen Mbakwe, Pinson (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville High School: Clay-Chalkville (4-0) has won each of their four games by at least 14 points or more. They’ll look to continue their dominant start to the season this week against Center Point. That game will be played on Friday, and has a kickoff time of 7:00 p.m. Central.

Mbakwe had five total touchdowns (three passing and two rushing), with 256 passing yards in Clay-Chalkville’s 41-0 win over Pinson Valley last week.

TE Caleb Odom and OL Zykie Helton (2026), Carrollton (Ga.) High School: Carrollton (4-1) has won four straight games, each of those coming by 20 points or more. The Trojans will play on the road at Hillgrove on Friday. That game will start at 6:30 p.m. Central.

Odom had two catches for 88 yards and a touchdown in just two quarters in Carrollton’s 47-14 win last week.

OL Casey Poe, Lindale (Tx.) High School: Lindale (1-3) will look to get back in the win column on Friday. Their next contest is a road game at Henderson High School, which will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Central.

DL Jeremiah Beaman, Birmingham (Ala.) Parker High School: Like Clay-Chalkville, Parker HS is another in-state program off to a 4-0 start. Up next is a road game at Gardendale, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. Central.

ICYMI: In-state commit Jeremiah Beaman remains “locked in” with Alabama (On3+)

DB Zabien Brown, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei: Mater Dei (4-0) returns to the gridiron after a bye last week. The Monarchs will travel across the country for a 6:00 p.m. Central road matchup with St. Frances Academy in Maryland on Friday.

LB Sterling Dixon, Spanish Fort (Ala.) High School: Spanish Fort (2-2) will take on Theodore High School on the road this Friday. Kickoff for this one is set for 7:00 p.m. Central.

Dixon had a scoop-and-score in Spanish Fort’s loss versus Saraland last week.

LB Cayden Jones, Arden (N.C.) Christ School: Following a bye, the Christ School Greenies (0-4) will face off against Providence Day on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Central. This contest features five-star 2025 offensive tackle and Alabama target David Sanders.

WR Amari Jefferson, Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor School: Friday will feature another matchup between an Alabama commit and a target in the 2025 class. The Amari Jefferson-led Baylor School Red Raiders (4-1) will go up against Brentwood Academy, which is led by quarterback George MacIntyre.

BamaOnLine’s Joseph Hastings will be in attendance for this game and is going to provide live updates on the BOL Round Table.

WR Rico Scott, Harrisburg (Penn.) Bishop McDevitt: Bishop McDevitt (4-0) takes on Cedar Cliff on the road this Friday at 6:00 p.m. Central. Scott had three receptions for 105 yards and three touchdowns in the first half of last week’s 68-7 win over Palmyra.

DL Isaia Faga and DB Red Morgan, Phenix City (Ala.) Central High School: Central High School (4-0) will play Thursday night at home against JAG High School. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. Central.

OL Williams Sanders, Brookwood (Ala.) High School: Brookwood (1-3) is seeking its first win since their season opener. Their next game is a home matchup with Hillcrest on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Central.

DB Dre Kirkpatrick Jr., Gadsden City (Ala.) High School: The Titans (3-1) travel to Hartselle this Friday. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Central.

OL Joseph Ionata, Clearwater (Fla.) Calvary Christian: Calvary Christian (1-2) has suffered back-to-back losses, but will look to get back on track this week. The Warriors travel to Wildwood on Friday, with that game having a 6:30 p.m. Central kickoff.

Alabama OL commit discusses Bama’s season, earning his fourth star (On3+)

TE Jay Lindsey, Butler (Ala.) Patrician Academy: Patrician Academy did not play Sparta Academy last week as the two sides mutually agreed to call off this game a few weeks ago.

Lindsey and his teammates will next play Monroe on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Central.

Three-star LB Quinton Reese, Ramsay (Ala.) High School: Quinton Reese, who recently announced his commitment to Alabama, will take the field on Friday. He and his Ramsay HS (3-1) teammates will play on the road at Fairfield at 7:00 p.m. Central.

Punter Anderson Green (Preferred Walk-On), Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Northridge High School: Northridge (1-2) plays host to Paul W. Bryant HS on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Central.

2025 Alabama Commitments

Five-Star Plus+ WR Ryan Williams and four-star DL Antonio Coleman, Saraland (Ala.) High School: Saraland (4-0) has won their last three games by an average of 44.7 points per contest. They’ll look to continue that hot streak against Robertsdale on Friday. That contest’s kickoff time is 7:00 p.m. Central.

Ryan Williams had six catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns in Saraland’s 49-7 win over Spanish Fort last week.

WR Jaime Ffrench, Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin High School: Mandarin (4-0) heads to Creekside this Friday, with that game set to begin at 6:00 p.m. Central. Ffrench had four catches for 75 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win over Atlantic Coast.

OL Mason Short, Evans (Ga.) High School: Evans High School (1-3) is searching for their second win after back-to-back losses. They’ll play Grovetown on the road this Friday at 6:30 p.m. Central.

OL Dontrell Glover, Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes: Following a 47-0 win over New Manchester last week, Langston Hughes will play host to undefeated Douglas County on Friday. That game will kickoff at 6:30 p.m. Central.

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