The offers are rolling in for Wetumpka football star Ethan Bailey.
Bailey, a rising senior for the Indians, has recently picked up a handful of Division I football offers. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound defensive end received his first offer from Marshall a year ago.
In the last month, however, Bailey has received offers from Alabama State University, Alabama A&M and the University of Louisiana Monroe.
“Ethan is a guy who deserves everything he is getting,” Wetumpka coach Bear Woods said. “He works hard and busts his tail. He’s intentional knowing he has personal goals that align with our team goals. He’s going to have a big decision in the coming months about where he wants to go to school.”
Bailey showcased just what he was made of during his junior campaign in the fall of 2023. Bailey helped lead Wetumpka’s team to a playoff appearance in Class 6A. In the process, he recorded nearly half of Wetumpka’s total sack numbers with nine.
He had no issues getting to the quarterback and causing mayhem in opposing backfields. To go along with his sack numbers, Bailey also recorded 13 tackles for loss and 11 quarterback pressures. He had 61 total tackles and forced 3 fumbles on the year.
While he starts at defensive end at the high school level, Woods can see him playing anywhere on the defensive line at the next level.
“The thing with Ethan is he has just God-given size,” Woods said. “ I can see him playing the 3-technique (defensive tackle). He’s going to continue to grow, both up and out. If you can get his current skill set and his hip ability, footwork and ability to rush the passer to the inside position, you’re talking about life changing opportunities for Ethan and his future.”
Helping Bailey is his intelligence and what he can bring a program off the field. Every time a college coach asks about Bailey, Woods is sure to tell them about him as a student.
An example is during the summer of 2023 when Bailey requested to miss nearly a week of football workouts to attend an engineering camp at Alabama State.
With Bailey’s focus on football and his education, Woods knows the sky’s the limit for the rising senior.
“He knows what he wants to do with football and after football,” Woods said. “We’re trying to see what camps to take him to this summer, and his college decision will be determined by what he wants to do with his education. There’s no question that he’s the next level guy. He’s a great teammate and the best is yet to come.”
