ATLANTA, Georgia — Day three of the Brent Key/Corky Kell + Dave Hunter 7-on-7 tournament brought 26 high schools to Georgia Tech’s campus. Last week, Bama247 attended the event for two days and then returned to check up with numerous Alabama recruits.
Here are some notes I took on Tuesday afternoon after a series of conversations.
National Analysis: Breaking out in-state and legacy OL commitments
Alabama has received two offensive line commitments in the last two days. 247Sports’ Hudson Standish gave some comments on the latest addition, in-state, and the Crimson Tide legacy. Mal Waldrep
Mal Waldrep is the most recent addition to Alabama’s thriving 2025 recruiting class, which now ranks third in the country. The three-star offensive lineman committed to the Crimson Tide on Tuesday afternoon, two days after his official visit to Tuscaloosa.
The Central-Phenix City (AL) standout chose Alabama over Clemson, Florida, and Tennessee. Chris Kapilovic led the charge in recruiting the Alabama legacy, and the offensive line coach is on a roll. Waldrep is the second commitment to the position this week, following four-star Michael Carroll, who was in Tuscaloosa for an official visit over the weekend.
PREVIEW: A quick glance at Alabama’s planned official visitors from June 14 to 16.
Waldrep is a Class 7A State Champion, the highest level in Alabama. The 6-foot-5, 320-pounder started every game as the Red Devils’ left tackle and allowed no sacks.
Ten college football players hiding in plain sight heading into the 2024 season.
These under-the-radar players are set to break out this fall.
A few college football players from premier programs fell short of superstar status last season, but they are on track to become household names by 2024. We found ten of these stars hiding in plain sight, and they come from a variety of College Football Playoff hopefuls, including Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State.
Five players on this list are beginning their sophomore seasons after arriving on college campuses as members of the class of 2023. Several true freshmen had a significant impact last season, with safety Caleb Downs and Dillon Thieneman earning first-team All-America honors. The five on this list did not receive national recognition, but they are expected to enter the conversation this fall after gaining a year of experience.
Some upperclassmen on this list suffered injuries that kept them out of the national limelight last season, or they sat behind more experienced players. Others played for smaller market teams and have the possibility to become household names after moving to larger universities this winter.
Get the most recent football and recruiting information about your favorite college team today.
Here are eleven college football talents lurking in plain sight ahead of the 2024 season:
Malik Benson, WR, Florida State
Malik Benson was the buzz of Alabama’s spring workouts last year and is expected to make an impact at Florida State this season. He replaces Keon Coleman, and Mike Norvell and his teammates expect him to “be a dude” in 2024, according to Chris Nee of Noles247. Last season, the senior wide receiver caught 13 passes for 162 yards for the Crimson Tide.
“He’s an athletic freakshow who snatched a lot of headlines last spring in Tuscaloosa,” said 247Sports transfer analyst Chris Hummer. “He has a more open pathway to playing time in Tallahassee and could emerge a playmaker.”
S. Peyton Bowen, Oklahoma
Bowen arrived in Norman last offseason as the Sooners’ most highly regarded defensive back in the contemporary recruiting period. As a true freshman, he played all 13 games (two starts) and led the Big 12 with 36 total tackles, five pass breakups, one sack, a forced fumble, and two blocked kicks. Brent Venables and his teammates curtailed his snaps in the second half of the lesson due to a lower right leg ailment, preventing him from competing for freshman All-America honors. He’s fully healthy and should have a significant impact in the SEC next season.
Branch, a member of 247Sports’ 2023 Freaks List, resembles former West Virginia player Tavon Austin. He’s little, but he makes up for it with top speed and game-changing space abilities. As a rookie, the former five-star receiver caught 31 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns in limited action. He dominated the return game, averaging an incredible 20.8 yards per punt return and became the only Trojan since Adoree Jackson in 2016 to record a punt, kickoff, and receiving touchdown in the same season. He’s about to explode as a sophomore next season.
RJ Oben, Edge, and Notre Dame
Oben has been one of the nation’s most consistent pass rushers over the last three years, with 19.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks at Duke. He never received the exposure he deserved, but transferring to Notre Dame, a much larger market, could help him become noticed. The Irish want him to take over at the strongside defensive end following the departure of Javaontae Jean-Baptiste, who excelled in that role as a graduate transfer last season. Oben has bulked up to 260 pounds in preparation and has received high accolades from coaches this offseason.
Eugene Wilson, WR, Florida
Wilson, a revelation for the Gators as a freshman in 2023, begins his sophomore season as Florida’s premier offensive weapon. He appeared in ten games (seven starts) last season, finishing with 538 receiving yards and a team-high six touchdown receptions. His 6.1 receptions per game were the most of any true freshman in the USA in 2023, and he has breakout potential as he enters his second year at Gainesville.
Tommi Hill, CB, Nebraska.
Hill moved from receiver to cornerback last offseason and made an immediate impact on Nebraska’s secondary. He alternated between left and right cornerback, allowing only 25 receptions on 46 targets (54.3%) for 243 yards and one score in 304 covering snaps. Hill is the Huskers’ top-rated returnee, with an overall defensive grade of 87.1, according to Pro Football Focus. He should have an even better season in 2024 after completing another offseason of secondary work.
CJ Baxter, RB, Texas
Baxter showed promise as a rookie, carrying the ball 138 times for 659 yards (4.8 average) and five touchdowns. The former five-star prospect has a strong 6-foot-1, 218-pound build and the contact balance to smash past arm tackles. He demonstrated superstar ability down the stretch last season, averaging 5.3 yards per run in his final six games and scoring touchdowns against Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Washington. Texas’ offensive line should be even better this season. The Longhorns’ abundance of running backs is the only thing preventing Baxter from breaking video game records.
Deontae Lawson, LB, Alabama
Lawson is an old-school, run-stuffing linebacker who missed out on national exposure after suffering an injury in the middle of last season. He finished with 67 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks, but he should have a much better season in 2024. He has some coverage issues to work on, but with Kane Wommack’s tutelage, he should be able to do so. During an interview in March, former linebacker Chris Braswell expressed regret that he was unable to accompany Lawson to the NFL.
Deontae Lawson. No question. Deontae Lawson,” Braswell stated. “He always put the team first. He’s an excellent player. He has all the intangibles. He was an accountable, diligent, and effective leader on defense for us last year.
Dillon Bell (WR/TE, Georgia)
Bell is a Swiss army knife who plays a hybrid tight end position that is gaining popularity in college football. The junior pass-catcher appeared in 14 games last season, catching 29 catches for 355 yards and two touchdowns. In the Bulldogs’ victory over Tennessee, he carried for 157 yards and two touchdowns while also throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass. Georgia lost a lot of receiving skill last offseason, and the Bulldogs’ coach expects Bell to burst out in 2024.
CARNELL TATE, WR, OHIO STATE
Returning starter Emeka Egbuka and renowned newcomer Jeremiah Smith are garnering all of the attention in Ohio State’s wide receivers room, and for good reason. Don’t forget about former five-star Carnell Tate, who quietly made a difference last season with 18 catches for 264 yards. At 6-foot-2, he is a skilled route runner who can easily high point the ball. Egbuka is a well-known commodity, whereas Smith may require more time to develop. Tate is expected to emerge as one of Ohio State’s top two targets as early as week one.
This article originally appeared on 247Sports.
In-state legacy recruit Mal Waldrep pledges to Alabama over Clemson and others.
Two days after his official visit, the three-star offensive lineman is following in his father’s footsteps in Tuscaloosa.
The searing hot start to the summer official visiting season continues for Kalen DeBoer and the rest of the Alabama coaching staff.
Mal Waldrep has chosen the Crimson Tide over Clemson, Florida and Tennessee. The decision comes two days after his official visit to The Capstone and is earlier than planned.
VIP BOARDS: Keep up with the latest on the Alabama recruiting trail.
The three-star offensive lineman had already set a July 10 commitment date, but he felt confident enough to make a decision about a month ahead of time. He paid an official visit to Clemson last weekend and plans to visit Florida and Tennessee at the end of the month.
The Phenix City (AL) prospect grew up as an Alabama fan, attending games and camps as a child. His father, Mal Waldrep, played for the Crimson Tide from 1998 to 2002. The dream was to play for Nick Saban, but Waldrep couldn’t have asked for a better coaching staff in the new age.
The 6-foot-5, 320-pounder spoke with Chris Kapilovic in April and quickly returned the Crimson Tide to his top four list.
“I think he means business, and I think he really knows what he is doing with offensive line coaching,” Waldrep previously told Bama247. “He’s been to a lot of places and done it the right way from what I have seen.”
Waldrep also has high regard for DeBoer and believes he is the best candidate for the position. “His figures and statistics do not lie. He led Washington to the national title, so he’s clearly a strong coach who knows what he’s doing.
“I mean, Alabama is still Alabama,” Waldrep earlier stated. “Even though the Saban dynasty is over, at the end of the day Alabama is still Alabama to me and that’s just how I see it.”
Waldrep is the No. 498 prospect, No. 40 offensive tackle, and No. 21 player in Alabama, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. According to 247Sports, he is Alabama’s No. 42 offensive lineman and 23rd player overall.
The Crimson Tide announced two commitments following the first official visitors weekend, including four-star Duncanville (TX) quarterback Keelon Russell from SMU and Mater Dei (Calif.) cornerback Chuck McDonald. The second weekend has also yielded two commitments (so far), with Waldrep joining four-star offensive lineman Michael Carroll, who became the first offensive line commit on Monday. Alabama’s 2025 class is ranked third in the country, with 14 commits, according to the 247Sports Team Rankings.
PODCAST: Mike doesn’t like Kentucky.
Welcome to Roll Pod, an Alabama sports podcast produced by Bama247. On today’s episode, Cody speaks with recruiting guru Brett Greenberg on the newest Tide trail reports.
We talk about Alabama a lot.
How about the rest of the SEC?
On today’s broadcast, Cody, Alex, and Mike separated the other 15 SEC football programs into categories and chose a phrase that best describes the state of each program heading into the 2024 season. These are the words they came up with.
Arkansas: Combustible (Alex)
Auburn: Frozen (Mike)
Florida: Pressure (Cody)
Georgia: Favorites (Alex)
Kentucky: Boring (Mike)
LSU – Important (Cody).
Mississippi State: TBD (Alex)
Mizzou: Dangerous (Mike)
Oklahoma, Patience (Cody)
Ole Miss – All In (Alex)
South Carolina: Rattled (Mike).
Tennessee – Dark Horse (Cody)
Texas A&M – Relief (Alex)
Texas: Overrated (Mike)
Vanderbilt: Curious (Cody)
Curious about why they chose those words? On the most recent episode of Bama247’s Roll Pod: An Alabama Sports Show, they discuss their picks.
Bama247 staff members will talk about Alabama sports twice a week, covering football, basketball, recruiting, and everything in between. We’ll break down press conferences, recap and preview games, and occasionally do interviews with coaches, athletes, and other 247Sports writers.
You may listen to Roll Pod wherever you get your shows, including on our Bama247 YouTube channel. We have added links to Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube below.
Enjoy the show, and please remember to like, subscribe, and leave 5-star ratings and reviews wherever you listen to podcasts.
Leave a Reply