Alabama Announces Early Signing Day Student-Athletes
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WCBI/Alabama Athletics)– The University of Alabama announced that 15 student-athletes have signed letters of intent to play football with the Crimson Tide on the first day of the early signing period on Wednesday.
The 15 total players includes one junior college signee and come from 10 states – Florida (5), South Carolina (2), Alabama (1), California (1), Indiana (1), Louisiana (1), Maryland (1), Pennsylvania (1), Tennessee (1) and Utah (1).
As of 4 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Alabama’s 2018 signing class was ranked No. 5 nationally by 247Sports and No. 6 by ESPN and Rivals.
As listed by position, the Crimson Tide add to its roster four linebackers, three defensive backs, two defensive linemen, two offensive linemen, one punter, one running back, one wide receiver and one athlete.
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaFTBL on Twitter and Facebook and AlabamaFBL on Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
The early signees include OLB Eyabi Anoma (Baltimore, Md./St. Frances Academy), DB Jalyn Armour-Davis (Mobile, Ala./St. Paul’s Episcopal), DL Christian Barmore (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann Goretti), ATH Slade Bolden (West Monroe, La./West Monroe), OL Tommy Brown (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei), OLB Jordan Davis (Memphis, Tenn./Southwind), P Skyler DeLong (Fort Mill, S.C./Nation Ford), OL Emil Ekiyor Jr. (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral), RB Jerome Ford (Seffner, Fla./Armwood), DB Josh Jobe (Miami, Fla./Cheshire Academy), OLB Cameron Latu (Salt Lake City, Utah/Olympus), OLB Jarez Parks (Sebastian, Fla./River), junior college DB Saivion Smith (St. Petersburg, Fla./IMG Academy/LSU/Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College), WR Xavier Williams (Hollywood, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna Prep) and DL Stephon Wynn (Anderson, S.C./IMG Academy).
Among the 15 players are:
- One five-star prospect (by at least one of the following: 247Sports, Rivals, ESPN): Eyabi Anoma
- Thirteen four-star prospects: Jalyn Armour-Davis, Christian Barmore, Slade Bolden, Tommy Brown, Jordan Davis, Emil Ekiyor Jr., Jerome Ford, Josh Jobe, Cameron Latu, Jarez Parks, Saivion Smith, Xavier Williams, Stephon Wynn Jr.
- Seven players selected to participate in the Under Armour All-American Game: Eyabi Anoma, Tommy Brown, Jordan Davis, Emil Ekiyor Jr., Saivion Smith (2016), Xavier Williams, Stephon Wynn Jr.
- Three players selected to participate in the U.S. Army All-American Game: Jayln Armour-Davis, Josh Jobe, Jarez Parks (2017)
- Ten players in the ESPN300: Eyabi Anoma, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Christian Barmore, Tommy Brown, Jordan Davis, Emil Ekiyor Jr., Josh Jobe, Cameron Latu, Xavier Williams, Stephon Wynn Jr.
- Two players in the Rivals100: Eyabi Anoma, Jordan Davis,
- Eleven players in the Rivals250: Eyabi Anoma, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Christian Barmore, Tommy Brown, Jordan Davis, Emil Ekiyor Jr., Josh Jobe, Cameron Latu, Jarez Parks, Xavier Williams, Stephon Wynn Jr.
- Eleven players in the 247Sports Top247: Eyabi Anoma, Jayln Armour-Davis, Christian Barmore, Tommy Brown, Jordan Davis, Emil Ekiyor Jr., Jerome Ford, Josh Jobe, Cameron Latu, Jarez Parks (2017), Stephon Wynn Jr.
- One five-star punting prospect: Skyler DeLong (Chris Sailer)
- One Gatorade State Player of the Year: Slade Bolden
2018 Alabama Early Signing Day Roster
Signees (15)
NAME POS HT WT CL HOMETOWN/SCHOOL
Eyabi Anoma OLB 6-5 230 Fr. Baltimore, Md./St. Frances Academy
Jalyn Armour-Davis DB 6-1 180 Fr. Mobile, Ala./St. Paul’s Episcopal
Christian Barmore DL 6-5 290 Fr. Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann Goretti
Slade Bolden ATH 5-11 200 Fr. West Monroe, La./West Monroe
Tommy Brown OL 6-7 313 Fr. Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei
Jordan Davis OLB 6-5 240 Fr. Memphis, Tenn./Southwind
Skyler DeLong P 6-4 180 Fr. Fort Mill, S.C./Nation Ford
Emil Ekiyor Jr. OL 6-3 339 Fr. Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral
Jerome Ford RB 5-11 195 Fr. Seffner, Fla./Armwood
Josh Jobe DB 6-1 180 Fr. Miami, Fla./Cheshire Academy
Cameron Latu OLB 6-5 236 Fr. Salt Lake City, Utah/Olympus
Jarez Parks OLB 6-4 260 Fr. Sebastian, Fla./River
Saivion Smith DB 6-1 185 Jr. St. Petersburg, Fla./IMG Academy/LSU/Miss. Gulf Coast
Xavier Williams WR 6-1 190 Fr. Hollywood, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna Prep
Stephon Wynn Jr. DL 6-4 308 Fr. Anderson, S.C./IMG Academy
PLAYER BIOS
EYABI ANOMA
OLB, 6-5, 230, Baltimore, Md./St. Frances Academy
Rated as one of the top players across all positions in the 2018 recruiting class … an athletic edge defender who is versatile and possesses excellent length and speed … a consensus five-start prospect … ESPN ranks Anoma as the No. 4 player in the ESPN300 and the No. 2 defensive end … the top-rated player in the state of Maryland and the No. 1 player in the east region according to ESPN … 247Composite ranks him as the No. 7 player nationally, the top-ranked player in Maryland and the No. 2 weakside defensive end nationally … No. 8 nationally in the Top247 … ranked as the No. 24 player by Rivals.com and the fourth-ranked weakside defensive end in the country … selected to participate in the 2018 Under Armour All-American Game … ranked as the No. 17 player nationally by MaxPreps and the top player in Maryland … finished his junior season in 2015 with over 60 tackles and 24 sacks for St. Frances head coach Henry Russell … collected 25-plus sacks as a senior to put his career total over 50 across his two years of high school … chose the Crimson Tide over numerous offers from around the country, including Georgia, Florida, Maryland and Michigan.
JALYN ARMOUR-DAVIS
DB, 6-1, 180, Mobile, Ala./St. Paul’s Episcopal
One of the elite all-around players in Alabama and the top cornerback in the state this recruiting cycle … tabbed a four-star prospect by every major recruiting outlet … rated the No. 2 player in Alabama and the No. 11 cornerback by 247Sports … 247Composite ranks Armour-Davis the No. 15 cornerback nationally and second-ranked player in the state … also rated No. 15 in the country by Rivals.com, which tabbed him as the No. 3 player in Alabama … the No. 28 corner nationally by ESPN.com … helped lead St. Paul’s to its third Class 5A state title in four years in 2017 … selected to play in 2018 U.S. Army All-American Game … coached by Steve Mask at St. Paul’s Episcopal High School in Mobile … chose Alabama over in-state Auburn along with Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma and USC.
CHRISTIAN BARMORE
DL, 6-5, 290, Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann Goretti
One of the top defensive linemen nationally … a consensus four-star prospect out of Neumann Goretti High School in Philadelphia … No. 75 in the ESPN300 and the outlet’s No. 4 defensive tackle … ESPN.com rates him as the No. 10 player in the eastern region of the country and the No. 2 player in the state of Pennsylvania … listed at No. 187 nationally in the 247Composite and the No. 17 defensive tackle … No. 249 in the Rivals250 … ranked as the No. 8 player in Pennsylvania and the No. 18 defensive tackle nationally … first team All-Philadelphia in the Catholic League Blue Division … helped lead his team to an 11-1 record and a trip to the state quarterfinals … coached by Albie Crosby at Neumann Goretti … chose the Crimson Tide over fellow SEC schools LSU, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina.
SLADE BOLDEN
ATH, 5-11, 200, West Monroe, La./West Monroe
An athlete that can help the Crimson Tide a multiple positions on either side of the ball … a four-star prospect by Rivals.com and listed as the No. 13 player in Louisiana by the outlet … ranked as the No. 25 athlete in the 2018 class by Rivals … the No. 11 all-purpose back in the nation according to 247Sports … also ranked 17th in the state by 247Sports … ESPN lists him as the No. 63 athlete nationally … … as a senior, played quarterback and passed for 1,622 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 1,460 yards and 20 more scores … named the Gatorade Louisiana Football Player of the Year … also rated as one of the top baseball players in Louisiana … boasts a 4.0 grade point average in the classroom … coached by Jerry Arledge at West Monroe … chose Alabama over LSU, Arkansas, Tennessee, TCU and Texas Tech.
TOMMY BROWN
OL, 6-7, 313, Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei
A highly recruited offensive line prospect coming out of California’s top-rated Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana … a four-star prospect by all major recruiting outlets … No. 114 on the ESPN300, the 10th-ranked offensive tackle and the No. 13 player in state of California by ESPN.com … rated the No. 12 offensive tackle and No. 25 player in California in the 247Composite … 247Sports ranked him as the No. 17 offensive tackle prospect … listed as the 14th-ranked offensive tackle and No. 30 player from California by Rivals … participated in Nike’s “The Opening” in 2017 … selected to the 2018 Under Armour All-America game … coached by Bruce Rollison at Mater Dei … father, Vince, threw the shot put in track and field at Alabama … chose Alabama over Michigan, Notre Dame and Oregon among his nearly 20 offers.
JORDAN DAVIS
OLB, 6-5, 240, Memphis, Tenn./Southwind
Standout defensive prospect from the state of Tennessee … long and rangy prospect with room to add bulk … rated a four-star recruit by all major outlets … listed as the No. 5 weakside defensive end and second-ranked player in the state of Tennessee by Rivals and on the 247Composite … Rivals lists him as the No. 37 player nationally and is No. 89 nationally on the 247Composite … No. 127 on the ESPN300 as the No. 12 defensive end and fourth-rated player from the Volunteer state … 247Sports ranks him as the No. 89 player nationally and the 11th-ranked weakside defensive end overall … selected to participate in the 2018 Under Armour All-America game … took part in Nike’s “The Opening” regional camp … recorded 37 tackles with eight sacks, two fumble recoveries, a pair of forced fumbles and six pass breakups in 10 games as a junior at SHS … coached by Cedric Miller at Southwind High School in Memphis … signed with Alabama over Florida State, LSU, Ohio State and Tennessee among others.
SKYLER DeLONG
P, 6-4, 180, Fort Mill, S.C./Nation Ford
DeLong is one of the top punting prospects in the 2018 class … selected to participate in the U.S. Army Army All-American Game … a very good athlete with a long frame … considered one of the elite hang time punters in the class … ranked as the No. 2 punter in the 247Composite and the No. 3 punter in the position rankings by 247Sports … a five-star prospect by Chris Sailer Kicking and rated as the No. 2 punter nationally … ranked third in the nation by Kohl’s Kicking … the No. 6 kicker in the country by ESPN … turned in a strong performance at the 2016 Southern Winter Showcase and an even better outing at the Southern Showcase Camp in May of 2017 … a finalist at the 2016 Vegas XXVIII … 2016 NC Summer Camp champion … coached by Michael Allen at Nation Ford High School … chose Alabama over Tennessee and Rutgers.
EMIL EKIYOR JR.
OL, 6-3, 339, Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral
One of the top-rated interior lineman nationally … selected as a four-star recruit by all major outlets … can play center or guard … 247Sports and the 247Composite list him as a center while Rivals and ESPN tab Ekiyor Jr. as a guard … ranked as the top-rated player in the state of Indiana by Rivals and ESPN as well as on the 247Composite … No. 52 on the ESPN300 and the No. 3 guard by the site … rated No. 100 nationally and the No. 2 center overall on the 247Composite … participated in Nike’s “The Opening” … selected to the 2018 U.S. Army All-American Game … first U.S. Army All-American in the storied football history of CHS … coached by Rick Streiff at Cathedral … father, Emil Sr., saw time in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons … selected Alabama over Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee as part of his 30-plus offers.
JEROME FORD
RB, 5-11, 195, Seffner, Fla./Armwood
A standout running back from the talent-rich state of Florida … a four-star runner and the No. 6 all-purpose back nationally by 247Sports … tabbed a three-star recruit on the 247Composite and by Rivals … coached by Evan Davis at Armwood High School … selected the Crimson Tide over Arizona, Nebraska, USF and UCF.
JOSH JOBE
DB, 6-1, 180, Miami, Fla./Cheshire Academy (Conn.)
Elite athlete that is rated as a four-star cornerback prospect by all major recruiting services … selected as the top player from the state of Connecticut by 247Sports and Rivals along with the 247Composite … tabbed the No. 7 corner nationally by 247Sports and the 47th-rated player overall by the site … listed as the No. 13 corner and No. 95 recruit on the 247Composite … No. 117 on the ESPN300, the No. 15 cornerback overall and the No. 26 player from Florida by ESPN … participated in Nike’s “The Opening” … selected as a 2018 U.S. Army All-American … grew up in Miami, Fla., before moving to Connecticut for his senior season … attended Christopher Columbus High School in Miami followed by Cheshire Academy as a senior … coached by Chris Merritt at CCHS and David Dykeman at Cheshire … chose Alabama over Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Michigan and Tennessee.
CAMERON LATU
OLB, 6-5, 236, Salt Lake City, Utah/Olympus
Rated as one of the top weakside defensive ends in the country in the 2018 signing class … a unanimous four-star prospect by all national recruiting outlets … the No. 2 player in Utah by 247Composite, Rivals.com and ESPN.com … 247Sports ranks Latu as the No. 3 player in the state … Rivals.com tabbed him the No. 6 weakside defensive end in the 2018 recruiting cycle … 247Composite’s No. 7 defensive end on the weak side, No. 9 according to 247Sports and the No. 16 defensive end on the ESPN300 … recorded 43 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and six sacks for the Titans in 2017 … participated in Nike’s “The Opening” … selected to play in Polynesian Bowl … played for Aaron Whitehead at Olympus High School … chose Alabama over Nebraska, Notre Dame and Oregon among others.
JAREZ PARKS
OLB, 6-4, 260, Sebastian, Fla./River
A composite four-star prospect along the defensive line who ranks as one of the country’s top defensive ends in the class of 2017 … ranked No. 93 in the 247Composite, the nation’s No. 7 weakside defensive end and the No. 17 player in Florida … Scout.com listed him at No. 68 in the Scout 300 and the No. 7 defensive end prospect … considered the No. 3 defensive end in the south by Scout.com and the No. 2 end in the state of Florida … rated at No. 115 in the ESPN 300, the No. 11 defensive end and the No. 22 player in the state of Florida … Rivals.com listed him at No. 118 in the Rivals 100, the No. 8 weak-side defensive end nationally and the No. 23 player in Florida … PrepStar ranked him at No. 60 on their Dream Team and the No. 5 end prospect … No. 145 in the Top247 and the No. 10 player at his position … played for the East team in the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Game, River’s first ever to do so … second-team All-State selection in Florida’s Class 6A by the Associated Press … helped lead SRHS to the state semifinals as a senior and the state regional playoffs in his junior campaign … also contributed in track for the Sharks, participating in the shot put, discus and 4×100 meter relays … took first place in the discus and earned second place in the shot put at the 2017 FHSAA 3A State Outdoor Championships as a senior … did not play football until his sophomore year of high school … played for head coach David Pettis at Sebastian River High School … chose Alabama over in-state Florida and Florida State, as well as Auburn, Clemson and North Carolina.
SAIVION SMITH
DB, 6-1, 185, St. Petersburg, Fla./IMG Academy/LSU/Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C.
A consensus five-star prospect coming out of IMG Academy who originally signed with LSU in the 2016 recruiting class … spent the 2017 season at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College … will arrive at Alabama in January and have two years of eligibility remaining … an elite shutdown corner who possesses a blend of instincts and ball skills to go along with excellent size and speed … rated the No. 2 player in the 247Sports junior college rankings and the top defensive back … also second in the ESPN JC50 and the top-rated defensive back … played 12 games for MGCCC in 2017, exceling on the defensive side of the football and on special teams as a returner … finished with 31 tackles at cornerback with a tackle for loss and two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown … knocked down six passes and forced a fumble … returned 26 kickoffs for an average of 27.6 yards per return with one touchdown … coming out of IMG, Smith was the No. 1 corner nationally by Scout.com and Rivals.com … Rivals listed him as the No. 9 player in the state of Florida … named to the USA Today All-USA High School All-America Team as a senior … played in the Under Armour All-American Game as a senior … invited to Nike’s “The Opening,” an all-star summer prospect camp held on the Nike Campus in Oregon … also earned Florida All-USA first team defense honors from USA Today … recorded 67 tackles, four fumble recoveries and five interceptions as a junior in 2014 … finished his senior season with 43 tackles, a pass breakup, one blocked punt and three blocked field goals … spent his first two years of prep ball at Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Fla., before transferring to IMG Academy for his final two years where he played for Chris Weinke and Kevin Wright … then played for Jack Wright at Mississippi Gulf Coast … chose the Crimson Tide over South Carolina.
XAVIER WILLIAMS
WR, 6-1, 190, Hollywood, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna Prep
One of the top receives in Florida in the 2018 recruiting cycle … a four-star wide receiver by all major recruiting outlets … rated as the No. 3 receiver, No. 29 player and eighth-best player from Florida on the ESPN300 by ESPN.com … the 33rd-ranked receiver and 32nd best player in Florida by Rivals.com … 247Sports rates Williams as the No. 45 receiver and No. 38 prospect in the Sunshine State … ranked as the No. 23 player in Florida and No. 26 receiver nationally by 247Composite … participated in Nike’s “The Opening” … took part in the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge … selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game … helped lead Chaminade-Madonna Prep to back-to-back state championship games in 2016 and 2017 and the Class 3A state championship in 2017 … caught a 55-yard touchdown pass in Chaminade’s 31-28 championship game victory … finished the season with 18 receptions for 387 yards and six touchdowns to give him 1,647 yards and 21 touchdowns on 67 career receptions … coached by Dameon Jones at Chaminade-Madonna Prep … chose Alabama over Auburn, Florida State Texas and Texas A&M across his 20-plus offers.
STEPHON WYNN JR.
DL, 6-4, 308, Anderson, S.C./IMG Academy
One of the nation’s top defensive end prospects … a unanimous four-star prospect by the top recruiting sites … rated as the No. 70 player nationally, the 15th-ranked player from the state of South Carolina and the No. 3 defensive end in the 247Composite … tabbed the fourth-ranked defensive end and 89th player nationally while being named the 11th-ranked player from South Carolina by 247Sports … selected as the No. 6 defensive end and 24th-rated player from Florida by Rivals.com … listed at No. 89 on the ESPN300 while also being recognized as the No. 9 defensive end and 21st-rated player in the state … participated in Nike’s “The Opening” in 2017 … selected to play in the 2018 Under Armour All-America game … transferred to IMG Academy for his senior season, coming from T.L. Hanna High School in Anderson, S.C. … finished his senior campaign with 18 total tackles and three for a loss across eight games played at IMG … totaled 77 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks as a junior at Hanna … collected 73 tackles with 13 for a loss and four sacks in his sophomore campaign at TLHHS … coached by Kevin Wright at IMG Academy during his senior season … father, Stephon Sr., played tight end at Clemson from 1993-94 … chose Alabama over Clemson and Georgia along with receiving offers from an extensive list of other schools.
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