Award season continues on for some high school football players in the state as the Alabama Sports Writers Association released the winners of the Back and Lineman of the Year awards for each classification on Tuesday night. The list of 16 winners includes five players already signed with SEC programs for next season and several others with offers from some of the top collegiate programs in the country.
State champion Thompson swept the awards in Class 7A as a pair of juniors took both awards. The Lineman of the Year went to defensive end Jeremiah Alexander who has already received offers from Alabama and Auburn among many others. The five-star recruit is listed as the nation’s top defensive end recruit in the Class of 2022 on 247 Sports. The Back of the Year award went to quarterback Conner Harrell who helped lead the Warriors to their second consecutive state title.
In Class 6A, the state’s top 2021 recruit headlined the winners as Pinson Valley’s GaQuincy McKinstry, an Alabama signee, won the Back of the Year. Auburn signee Lee Hunter of Blount was named the Lineman of the Year.
The state is currently loaded with talent at the line of scrimmage and it shows with the list of winners for the rest of the Linemen of the Year awards. Backing up the SEC-caliber players in Alexander and Hunter is three more 4-star recruits according to 247.
Ramsay’s Jeremiah Williams is a Florida signee and won the award for Class 5A while Alabama signee Deontae Lawson of Mobile Christian took the honors for Class 4A. Lanett junior Caden Story won the 2A Linemen of the Year and is still uncommitted but has offers from Auburn and Tennessee among others.
The Backs of the Year winners have plenty of talent as well. Three-star dual quarterback recruit Zyquez Perryman of Pleasant Grove earned the 5A award while Georgia signee Kamari Lassiter of American Christian took home the 4A honors.
You can see the full list of winners below. The Super All-State Team will be released next week with the Mr. Football award planned for the following weekend.
Linemen of the Year
7A: Jeremiah Alexander, Thompson
6A: Lee Hunter, Blount
5A: Jeremiah Williams, Ramsay
4A: Deontae Lawson, Mobile Chr.
3A: Jett Smith, Walter Wellborn
2A: Caden Story, Lanett
1A: Carson Jones, Brantley;
AISA: Eli Richey, Southern Aca.
Backs of the Year
7A: Conner Harrell, Thompson
6A: GaQuincy McKinstry, Pinson Valley
5A: Zyquez Perryman, Pleasant Grove
4A: Kamari Lassiter, American Chr.
3A: Ike Rowell, Fyffe
2A: Peyton Higgins, Mars Hill Bible
1A: Brayden Kyle, Decatur Heritage
AISA: Payton Allen, Chambers Aca.
