This is an opinion piece.
We are days away from the second round of the high school playoffs and the race for Mr. Football may be as wide open as it has been in quite a while.
With the Week 10 injury to Thompson QB Conner Harrell, the door is open for someone to assert themselves in the playoffs and grab the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s top award.
RELATED:
Complete second-round pairings
In a similar column last November, I listed three serious candidates to win Mr. Football – Harrell, Oxford QB Trey Higgins and Pinson Valley’s Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry.
McKinstry won Mr. Football with a stellar postseason run that helped garner his team the Class 6A state title. He is now playing at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturdays. How wide open is the race this year? Instead of the three candidates mentioned last year, I have (at least) 14 possibilities this year.
The ASWA prep committee won’t vote on the All-State teams and Mr. Football until after the championships are decided the first week in December, so there is still time to make a case.
One thing we do know is that the 2021 Mr. Football likely is still practicing somewhere this week. A player whose team didn’t make the playoffs has never been Mr. Football and only 2 former Mr. Football’s (Huffman’s Andre Smith in 2005 and Etowah’s Cadillac Williams in 2000) have won the award after their teams lost in the first round.
Here are 14 candidates who I certainly will consider this year. Of course, it’s entirely possible Mr. Football is not on this list. The next four weeks will tell the story.
Conner Harrell, QB, Thompson: Harrell could still make a run if he returns and leads the Warriors to a third straight state title. Last year’s 7A Back of the Year has thrown for 2,278 yard and 34 TDs and rushed for 4 TDs through the first half of the Hoover game. However, he was injured in the second quarter and didn’t return for the second half of that game or for Thompson’s first-round win over Florence.
Jeremiah Alexander, EDGE, Thompson: The Alabama commit is the state’s top recruit. He’s been dominant for the Warriors, but the odds are against him only because just one previous Mr. Football winner was listed primarily as a defensive player – Blount DL Demarco McNeil (1998).
Khalib Johnson, QB, Clay-Chalkville: The Louisville commit is the leader of the No. 1-ranked team in Class 6A. Johnson is completing 65 percent of his passes for 2,181 yards and 31 TDs. He’s been intercepted just four times. He has three rushing TDs.
Bennett Meredith, QB, Hoover: The recent Northwestern commit engineered the biggest win of the season, leading the Bucs over Thompson in Week 10. For the season, he is 153-of-246 for 2,375 yards and 25 TDs.
Braylon McReynolds, RB, McGill-Toolen: The South Alabama commit has been dynamic all season. He rushed for 292 yards and 2 TDs in his team’s first-round win over Pelham and now has 1,975 yards and 25 TDs for the season.
Earl Woods, QB, Hueytown: Woods and McReynolds will be on the same field this week when McGill hosts Hueytown. Woods has led the Golden Gophers’ high-scoring offense, passing for 2,255 yards and 24 TDs and rushing for 1,540 yards and 27 TDs.
Caleb Nix, QB, Central-Phenix City: The senior has Central unbeaten heading into he second round of the 7A playoffs. He has completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,388 yards and 33 TDs.
Omari Kelly, WR, Hewitt-Trussville: The Auburn commit will have a big stage this week at No. 1 Hoover. He already has 70 receptions for 1,107 yards and 10 TDs. He also has rushed 15 times for 106 yards and a TD.
Demarcus Lacey, RB, Pleasant Grove: If Lacey leads Pleasant Grove to a third straight title game, he should get a lot of love as well. So far, he has rushed for 1,333 yards and 19 TDs on 109 carries and caught 15 passes for 215 yards and 3 TDs.
Tanner Bailey, QB, Gordo: The Oregon commit has thrown for 2,151 yards and 30 touchdowns for the Green Wave this season.
Evan Smith, QB/ATH, Oak Mountain: Few athletes have been more exciting this year than the Northwestern commit. Despite missing several late-season games with an injury, he has passed for 972 yards and 10 TDs and rushed for 1,061 yards and 16 TDs. He will need to find a way to beat Thompson this week to be a Mr. Football factor.
Mason Cartee, RB, Priceville: Cartee has run for 2,224 yards and 31 TDs this season. He had 259 yards and two touchdowns in a first-round playoff win over Etowah last week.
Andrew Hunter, QB, Randolph: Hunter has thrown for 2,662 yards and 32 touchdowns and run for 812 yards and 14 TDs this season for 10-1 Randolph. He totaled four touchdowns -- three passing and one rushing -- against Fayette County in the first round of the playoffs last week.
Brayden Kyle, Decatur Heritage: Kyle has thrown for 2,431 yards and 30 touchdowns and rushed for 1,143 yards and 21 TDs this season. He accounted for seven touchdowns -- four rushing and three passing -- against Marion County last week.
Who will add to those stats and take home Mr. Football in January?
It’s simply hard to pick a clear favorite at this point.
The Link LonkNovember 10, 2021 at 08:31PM
https://www.al.com/highschoolsports/2021/11/who-wins-mr-football-in-2021-hard-to-pick-a-clear-favorite-at-this-point.html
Who wins Mr. Football in 2021? Hard to pick a clear favorite at this point - AL.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=hard&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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