2013 Prospect Rankings: Alabama

By Matthew Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

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A look at the top 10 prospects in the state of Alabama for the class of 2013.

Southern Pigskin’s Director of Recruiting, Matt Osborne, will be compiling rankings of the top 2013 prospects in each of the states in our coverage area over the next couple of months. Matt has worked in the past as an analyst for Scout.com and has a background in football scouting.

#1 – DT Dee Liner (Muscle Shoals HS) Muscle Shoals, AL

Liner has an exceptionally quick first step off of the ball and displays excellent speed when tracking down plays from the backside. He possesses great agility and has very good footwork for such a young prospect. Due to his tremendous burst off the snap, Liner has not yet learned how to use his hands effectively when engaged with opposing blockers. He also still needs to add some additional weight and strength if he is going to play defensive tackle at the next level. However, with his 6-5 frame, it is highly unlike that an additional 25 pounds will make him lose much as far as his athleticism is concerned.

Recruitment Status: Verbally committed to Auburn.

#2 – TE O.J. Howard (Autauga HS) Prattville, AL

At this point in his career, Howard is a much bigger threat in the passing game than he is as a run blocker. Having played wide receiver, running back, tight end and linebacker for his high school team, there is no doubt that Howard is a special kind of athlete for the tight end position. He already runs very good routes and he is adept at making tough catches in coverage. He also has great speed and is capable of making defenders miss in the open field. If there is an area that needs improvement, it is certainly his strength and physicality, which should come in time.

Recruitment Status: Verbally committed to Alabama.

#3 – WR ArDarius Stewart (Fultondale HS) Birmingham, AL

With Stewart, the name of the game is speed. Stewart is one of the fastest overall athletes in the 2013 class, having been timed around a 4.3 in the 40-yard dash. He is more than capable of making lateral moves in the open field, but there is no doubt that the strength of his game lies in his ability to shift it into another gear when he gets to the second level. Stewart plays quarterback for his high school squad, so how he adjusts to wide receiver will naturally be a concern. He has been a very productive safety at the high school level though, so I don’t expect the transition to be very difficult.

Recruitment Status: Verbally committed to Alabama.

#4 – OT Austin Golson (Prattville HS) Prattville, AL

Golson has the perfect frame (6-6, 285) for an offensive tackle at the next level. Even more impressive than his size, however, is his nearly flawless blocking technique. Golson uses his hands better than many veteran college players, and he is also a very physical and tenacious blocker. Golson also displays good technique with his footwork, although I do have some concerns that his foot quickness could give him occasional problems in college. At the high school level, his hand placement and overall strength allows him to win some engages that he might lose against a superior athlete.

Recruitment Status: Verbally committed to Florida State.

#5 – QB Jeremy Johnson (Carver Senior HS) Montgomery, AL

In my opinion, too many people are getting caught up in Johnson’s unorthodox throwing motion and are losing sight of the fact that he has been very productive throwing the football for his high school program. At 6-6, Johnson’s throwing motion is strikingly similar to Vince Young’s; it sometimes looks like he is pushing the ball instead of throwing it. Regardless, Johnson has shown that he has more than enough arm strength and he has excellent touch when throwing down the field. Johnson is also an above-average athlete, which adds to his stock. Some areas where Johnson needs to become more consistent are with his footwork and with his accuracy.

Recruitment Status: Auburn and LSU are currently his two favorites.

#6 – OG Grant Hill (Huntsville HS) Huntsville, AL

The thing that I love most about Hill’s game is his desire to finish off all of his blocks. He is a relentless worker who refuses to stop blocking until the referee blows his whistle. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt that he is 6-6, 310-pounds, and possesses tremendous strength. Hill is able to dominate high school competition based on his size alone, but he has not let that slow his technique from developing. Although his footwork still has some room for improvement, we have seen his feet get quicker every year that he has been in high school, and there is no reason to believe that his progression will not continue.

Recruitment Status: Verbally committed to Alabama.

#7 – WR Earnest Robinson (Pinson Valley HS) Pinson, AL

Robinson isn’t necessarily the fastest wide receiver in this class, but I think that his athleticism often gets overlooked. He is a tall receiver (6-4) who excels at catching the ball at its highest point, particularly in traffic. He has shown that he is not afraid to go across the middle and make the tough catches when he knows that contact is imminent. Robinson also has an exceptional set of hands that help him make acrobatic catches. He has the potential to become a dynamic playmaker at the next level if he continues to work on his quickness and overall speed, but I already think he is better in those areas than some people realize.

Recruitment Status: Verbally committed to Auburn.

#8 – WR Jason Smith (McGill-Toolen HS) Mobile, AL

Smith could potentially line up under center in college, but I think that he is better suited as a wide receiver at the next level. Only 6-1, many people believe that he doesn’t have the size and arm strength to play quarterback at a big-time FBS program. What he does have, however, is great speed and natural playmaking ability when the ball is in his hands. He is exceptionally dangerous when in open space, as he uses a series of quick and precise cuts to leave defenders grasping at air. It likely will take him some time to adjust to a new position, but quarterbacks normally adjust well to wide receiver because they are used to catching the ball.

Recruitment Status: Holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, South Alabama, Troy and UAB.

#9 – WR Deon Johnson (Spanish Fort HS) Spanish Fort, AL

Johnson is an outstanding slot receiver prospect for the next level. Timed as low as 4.32 seconds in the 40-yard dash, Johnson is amazingly talented at slipping through arm tackles to find pay dirt. Johnson has fairly good quickness, but he is not the type of player that jukes defenders out of their shoes on a regular basis. Instead, he uses his incredible combination of speed and strength to break through arm tackles. There is room for improvement in his route-running, but if he gets the ball in the open field, the defense is in trouble.

Recruitment Status: Alabama and Nebraska are his current leaders.

#10 – MLB Cameron Toney (Huntsville HS) Huntsville, AL

What Toney lacks in speed, he makes up for in strength, physicality and instincts. Although he is not an elite athlete, Toney diagnoses plays quickly and attacks the ball with tremendous determination. He is very good at shedding opposing blockers and he is a sure tackler when he arrives to the football. What I love most about Toney is his passion for the game of football. It is very obvious that he is a student of the game and that he takes a great amount of pride in his performance on the field. He is not a bad athlete, but if his athleticism catches up to the mental side of his game, he will be a special player.

Recruitment Status: Holds offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State, Purdue, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.