While other Alabama commits have garnered the attention of many, an under the radar prospect in 4-Star athlete, Kadarius Calloway may be one of the Crimson Tide’s biggest gets in the 2021 recruiting class.
Calloway, who is a product of Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia, Mississippi, committed to Alabama in surprising fashion. No one expected him to flip his pledge from Mississippi State to Alabama on July 8. With only seven D1 offers in hand before committing to the Tide, most recruiting sites had him listed as a 3-Star recruit.
However, Touchdown Alabama’s staff decided to change Calloway’s rating in our own independent recruiting rankings after watching the Mississippi product in live game action on Oct. 17 against Forest High School. Calloway finished the game with three touchdowns, two on the ground and one through the air. He spent time on both sides of the football for the Philadelphia Tornadoes as they took home the win 34-26.
While on offense, the Alabama commit spent a great deal of time lined up at wide receiver. The first thing that stood out during the first couple of plays for the Tornadoes was Calloway’s quick feet. As a wideout, It was evident he could create space on short routes.
Philadelphia and Forest traded touchdowns during the first quarter. To create some separation in the second, the Tornadoes put Calloway in at quarterback in a wildcat set and his explosiveness came to the forefront as he broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run. As the 6-0 210 pounder exploded into the open field, he hit a second gear, that allowed him to quickly create a gap between him and the pursuing defenders.
THIS KID IS SPECIAL.
I see why Alabama loves their 2021 ATH commit, Kadarius Calloway @KadriusC.
At 6-0 and 210 lbs, he is built like a RB. Crazy athleticism and his speed in the open field is one of the fastest I ever seen in person. One of his 1st Half TDs. @TDAlabamaMag pic.twitter.com/n0bjNDWxdk
— Justin Smith (@Jdsmith31Smith) October 17, 2020
Calloway’s elite open-field speed will be valuable for him at the D1 level. This gives him the opportunity to be a weapon as a kick or punt returner. This also allows him to bait quarterbacks in and quickly close on the ball as a defensive back, which is where Alabama wants him to play at.
Along with his impressive speed, Calloway’s physicality stood out on the defensive side of the football. It is his biggest asset as a defender. With his thick frame, he is one of the more put together defensive back prospects in this class. Calloway is built a lot like a running back and can bring some force when making tackles.
Alabama’s 2021 ATH commit, Kadarius Calloway @KadriusC, will now be listed as a 4 ⭐️ recruit in @TDAlabamaMag own independent recruiting rankings after taking in his latest performance.
A deep in-depth breakdown of this will be posted @TDAlabamaMag soon. pic.twitter.com/MUBWFwgZn2
— Justin Smith (@Jdsmith31Smith) October 17, 2020
Some added strength and muscle under Alabama’s strength and conditioning staff should put Calloway in shape to play college football fairly quickly.
A nice pair of hands should also help Calloway out when he lines up at defensive back. He spends a lot of time with the ball in his hands for the Tornadoes, which has helped him develop some great ball skills.
WATCH KADARIUS CALLOWAY HIGHLIGHTS BELOW:
After taking in Calloway’s performance, Touchdown Alabama now have Calloway listed as a 4-Star athlete and as the Crimson Tide’s No. 13 ranked commit in the 2021 recruiting class.
RELATED: Kadarius Calloway Recruiting Profile
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Justin Smith is a Scouting/Recruiting analyst for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via @Jdsmith31Smith
