Its 2019 recruiting class should finish as the nation’s top-ranked group in terms of the first Wednesday in February; however, the University of Alabama is always thinking ahead.
Head coach Nick Saban is working on the program’s 2020 class and with 11 hard commitments, it stands at No.1 so far. With five players hailing from the state of Alabama, there are two other names he should consider for this bunch.
While neither of the two has garnered any major attention, both guys are highly talented and would be tremendous assets to a big school.
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The first of two is Cordarius “Dre” Martin.
Listed at 6-feet and 180 pounds, Martin is an athlete at Evangel Christian Academy in Montgomery, Ala. He plays running back, wide receiver and free safety, while carrying a 3.0 grade point average. Martin’s versatility paid dividends in his junior season, as he totaled 500+ yards rushing, 10+ receptions for over 300 yards and 200+ yards on kickoff returns.
He recorded four touchdowns as a back and even displays some strong tackling abilities in the secondary. Despite needing more tape on him defensively, Martin possesses the athleticism, vision, footwork and speed to be an elite weapon on offense. The main area of improvement for him would be to develop a second gear of acceleration once he gets in space on the field.
Alabama’s two four-star commitments — Dazalin Worsham of Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) and Javon Baker of Creekside High School in Fairburn, Ga.– are smaller than Martin (size wise) and he is the same height as Worsham at 6-feet.
He has been training with Dezmond Willis at Top Rated Speed and Performance Training out of Millbrook, Ala.
Willis has worked with multiple athletes that attended UA, including Shaun Dion Hamilton, Mack Wilson and Markail Benton.
Martin enters his senior year in the fall and looks to put college coaches on notice.
Jackson Morrissette is currently looking to attend school at Jacksonville State University; however, his potential screams Division one. At 5’9” and 254 pounds, he plays defensive end and defensive tackle at Prattville High School.
Former Tide safety Nick Perry is product of Prattville, Ala., and tight end O.J. Howard hails from the area as well at Autauga Academy. Morrissette has solid core strength and a strong first move to affect plays, but shedding blocks and getting to the action quicker is what he must work on.
Like Martin, Morrissette enters his senior year as an impact player. He told yours truly of Touchdown Alabama Magazine that his goal is to “be a dog” this season and he wants to produce all the numbers on defense.
The Tide has three defensive linemen committed for 2020, with two being in-state.
We’ll continue to track the progress of Martin and Morrisette moving forward.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
