MOBILE, Ala. – The annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game often features some of the best talent in the country and in years past it has also catapulted prospects way up in the recruiting rankings.
Prospects Chris Jones (from three-star to five-star) and Kool-Aid McKinstry (from four-star to five-star) are just a few examples of players who have made big jumps after impressing at the event.
After Rivals.com’s Nick Harris and Woody Wommack took in practices this week, here’s a list of the players who they think helped themselves the most with strong showings.
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If we could choose an MVP for the week, it would be Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson four-star defensive lineman Peter Woods in a landslide. Coming into an event with a handful of elite defensive linemen for the Alabama team, Woods separated himself early and often as the most physical, crafty and instinctual pass rusher in the group.
The Clemson commit was rarely tested in one-on-one situations and was easily slipping blockers in team reps. Expect Woods to make multiple impact plays on Saturday against a Mississippi offensive line that will have its hands full dealing with the talent in the trenches for Alabama. – Harris
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No prospect looked as freaky and built this week than Raleigh (Miss.) four-star outside linebacker Suntarine Perkins as he came into this week fresh off a heroic state championship performance on both sides of the ball. Oddly enough, given his last name and the No. 4 on the back of his high school jersey, Perkins reminds me of 2022’s Harold Perkins in the sense that both cover a ton of space, can rush the passer with a combination of moves and are each deadly in facing up ball-carriers one-on-one.
Perkins and Ayden Williams both have a case to be No. 1 in Mississippi, but Perkins is the one that made the conversation more difficult this week. During practices this week, Perkins showed his IQ at the position in team reps and flashed his athleticism in skill one-on-ones against some of Mississippi’s best players out of the backfield. – Harris
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Ayden Williams saw a huge jump in this week’s Rivals250 update, moving to the No. 43 position, and he showed this week why his stock continues to rise. Whether it be his fluidity in route-running, his high-point ability or his strong hands at the finish, Williams is easily the most complete pass-catcher in attendance for the all-star game.
The Ole Miss commit couldn’t find much competition throughout the week in practice, but he will get a solid taste of it at the Under Armour All-American Game in a few weeks. If he can prove to be as dominant in that environment, a five-star discussion will certainly be on the table. – Harris
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Dakaari Nelson was listed on the event’s roster as a linebacker but ended up spending most of the week playing at safety and cornerback. With great length and excellent coverage skills, Nelson was a must-watch as he took on all comers during one-on-ones.
He finished the week of practice with several highlight-worthy plays and looks like the perfect versatile jack-of-all-trades defender for the modern game. Penn State is getting a major steal out of the Southeast in Nelson. – Wommack
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A tall, lengthy prospect in the secondary for Team Alabama this week, Pinson Valley (Ala.) four-star safety TJ Metcalf recently rose to four-star status, but could enter the Rivals250 discussion if he can cap his solid week in practice with a good showing on Saturday.
In doing mostly one-on-one matchup situations during practice this week, Metcalf shows a solid ability to lock down lengthy pass catchers as well as twitchy playmakers. In work from the defensive backfield, Metcalf shows a solid ability to cover a large range on the field from midfield to the boundary.
The Arkansas commit will cap his prep career with Saturday’s main event. – Harris
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Stanton Ramil was easily the biggest prospect in attendance this week in Mobile at 6-foot-7, 305 pounds, and he uses all of that size at first punch. For his size, Ramil shows great mobility in pass protection and out in space. During team reps, Ramil put some guys into the ground and limited what he could from an incredibly talented Alabama defensive line.
The Michigan State commit’s matchup with Jamarious Brown on Saturday will be one to watch. – Harris
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Vysen Lang was tasked with the unenviable challenge of head-to-head with several of the Team Alabama defensive linemen in practice. And while he took his lumps at times, he was also one of the few people that managed to slow down Woods during one-on-ones.
Lang appears to have gotten stronger and shed some bad weight since the last time we saw him and that has helped him be able to deal with quicker edge rushers. –Wommack
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A prospect that has stayed relatively quiet in Mississippi State’s 2023 class, Clarksdale (Miss.) three-star safety Kelley Jones will almost certainly rise from his 5.5 rating after a week of practice in which he translated his lengthy and wide frame onto the field by bodying up physical pass-catchers such as Ayden Williams.
Jones sits at 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, and typically long and tall prospects look like baby giraffes at the high school level, but Jones has a high enough sense of coordination that I see him making an impact at the next level at multiple spots in the secondary.
At safety, Jones uses his long length to cover a lot of ground as he is one that can make Christopher Vizzina’s day difficult on Saturday. – Harris
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Another player that entered the week almost totally off the radar, Amari Smith is 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds and it’s hard to believe that he doesn’t have offers from schools all over the country. Instead, just in-state programs Mississippi State and Ole Miss seem to know about Smith, at least for now.
Smith is almost proud of the fact that he is an unknown with no social media, and he didn’t make a senior highlight tape until this week. With his size and athleticism, Smith will surely be in the Rivals rankings soon and is a name to watch going forward. – Wommack
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Christavious Savior came into the week without as much as a Rivals profile and finished it as one of the most impressive defensive backs in attendance. Savior was one of the few players that consistently gave Williams problems in one-on-ones and the two had a number of battles throughout the week.
Savior has pretty much every JUCO offer in the country and appears to be headed that route, but he’s a name to remember for the future. – Wommack
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