Alabama high school football has had its share of elite-level recruits in recent years. According to the 247Sports Composite, 26 players from the state have owned a five-star rating since 2010, including seven in the current 2023 class, the most of any class since 2010. Here’s a look at the five highest-rated players from that group of five-stars over the past dozen years.
Reuben Foster (Auburn)
Since 2010, the highest-rated of Alabama high school recruits is Foster, a graduate of Auburn High School who was considered the No. 1 inside linebacker in the 2013 class. The state’s top overall player in that class as well, Foster went on to become a four-year impact player at Alabama from 2013-16. He was selected as the No. 31 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
Ben Davis (Gordo)
Also at inside linebacker, Davis comes in at No. 2 on this list of the highest-rated high school recruits from Alabama. The Gordo High School product was the No. 1 player at the position in the 2016 class. Also the state’s top overall player in that class, Davis spent five seasons at Alabama from 2016-20 before transferring to Texas for the 2021 campaign.
Marlon Humphrey (Hoover)
Humphrey was squarely in the running for top-rated cornerback in the 2014 class, as well as the state’s top player. The Hoover product spent three seasons at Alabama from 2014-16 before being selected No. 16 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
Dee Milliner (Stanhope Elmore)
The state’s top player in the 2010 class out of Stanhope Elmore, Milliner was in the conversation for who was the nation’s top cornerback that year. He spent three seasons at Alabama from 2010-12 before being selected No. 9 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.
Rashaan Evans (Auburn)
Not only did Auburn High School produce the state’s top inside linebacker in the 2013 class in Foster, it gave us the top player at the position in the 2014 class as well. Evans was rated the state’s No. 2 player in the 2014 class behind Humphrey and was a four-year player at Alabama from 2014-17 before being selected No. 22 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
Here are a few more players who were ranked just behind those five as recruits:
- 2013 – OJ Howard (Autauga)
- 2023 – James Smith (Carver-Montgomery)
- 2012 – Jameis Winston (Hueytown)
- 2022 – Jeremiah Alexander (Thompson)
- 2021 – Kool-Aid McKinstry (Pinson Valley)
