One city that Alabama football head coach Nick Saban must keep a firm grip on in recruiting is Montgomery, Ala. With it producing big names like Shaun Dion Hamilton (Carver), Lyndell “Mack” Wilson (Carver) and Henry Ruggs III (Lee), the area is full of division one talent.
Aside from 2014, Saban has managed to land a marquee running back prospect in each signing class he’s brought in. Some players that Crimson Tide fans hold near to their heats include Mark Ingram (2009 Heisman Trophy winner), Derrick Henry (2015 Heisman winner), Trent Richardson, Jalston Fowler, Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon, Kenyan Drake and Bo Scarbrough.
While no one has caught the Tide’s attention at the position for the 2019 cycle, an area known simply as “The Gump” has an athlete that is ripping up high school fields across the state.
Size matters for most Southeastern Conference institutions, however, if one was to study Jacory Merritt’s film it would leave them floored as to why he’s not received a scholarship offer.
Merritt, who’s coming off a strong sophomore year at Sidney Lanier High School, possesses an assortment of skills at running back – including speed, power, vision, change of direction and soft hands as a receiver. He may not have the SEC weight at 178 pounds, but his compact frame (5-foot-11) and explosion between the tackles does not take long to capture instant attention.
After posting 1,161 yards rushing with 11 touchdowns in 2017, Merritt looks to take Sidney Lanier to a state championship as a senior. To pair alongside the traits listed above, he also has a knack for pushing runs to open space and creating difficult angles for defenders to tackle him.
Sidney Lanier used Merritt in variations of I-formation (Weak I, Strong I) and shotgun, with focus on zone read plays.
Kenyan Drake and ArDarius Stewart were two former Crimson Tide players that came to mind upon watching Merrit’s film. Despite Stewart signing under the label of “athlete” in 2013, no one could discredit his abilities when it came to attacking the ball.
A broken leg injury in 2014 robbed Drake of what he could have achieved; nevertheless, his elusive skill set led him to 1,495 career rushing yards, 570 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns during his tenure. The native Georgian jumped into Alabama football folklore in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship matchup (2015 season) when he returned a kickoff 95 yards for a pivotal score against top-seeded Clemson, earning a 45-40 win.
During the offseason, Merrit trains with Dezmond Willis, founder of Top Rated Speed and Performance Training in Prattville, Ala. According to Willis, Sidney Lanier’s swiss army knife wants to add more weight to his frame and get his 40-time in the 4.3s. It returns Najee Harris and Brian Robinson after 2018, but the possibility of seeing Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs (should he stay healthy and perform well) leave does bring questions on should a back be considered.
