The Firecracker Five

July 4, 2022

It's July 4th. That means it's time for our annual Firecracker Five update. These are five top prospects that, as of now, TI thinks are likely to pick Alabama. With that said, here's the class of 2023 edition of TI's Firecracker Five.

OL Ryqueze McElderry

For the last week or so, buzz has been brewing in Anniston that some recruiting fireworks might explode very soon. This past Saturday, four-star offensive lineman Ryqueze McElderry lit the fuse when he backed off his longtime commitment to Georgia. The feeling now is that it won't take the 6-4, 330-pound McElderry long to make a decision. TI would not be surprised if that decision came as early as today.

WR Malik Benson

The nation's top JUCO wide receiver prospect, Malik Benson, is scheduled to announce his decision tomorrow, July 5. The Hutchinson CC, KS four-star has made official visits to Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and Oregon.

If the 6-1, 190-pound Benson picks Alabama, as we expect, the Tide will be getting another explosive offensive weapon. Benson, who runs a blazing 10.4 100 meters, had over 1,200 receiving yards and 11 TD receptions last season. This would be a major pickup for Alabama.

RB Richard Young

The 5-11, 200-pound Young might be the nation's premier running back in the 2023 class. As a junior, the Lehigh Acres, FL five-star ran for nearly 1,800 yards and scored 19 touchdowns on just 196 carries.

Young has made official visits to Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Oregon.

We like Bama's chances here.

DL Edric Hill

Kansas City, MO four-star defensive lineman Edric Hill made an official visit to Alabama on the weekend of June 24. He's also made official trips to LSU and USC.

The 6-3, 280-pound Hill reminds TI of a young Phidarian Mathis when Mathis came out of high school. Hill might actually have a little more explosive pop than Mathis did coming out. But, overall, that's not a bad comparison, as Mathis developed into an outstanding player at Alabama.

DL Jordan Renaud

Jordan Renaud of Tyler-Legacy, TX is another four-star defensive lineman who visited Alabama on the June 24th weekend. The 6-4, 245-pound Renaud is a playmaker. He's considered a top 15 prospect in talent-rich Texas.

At one point, it appeared that Oklahoma might be the team to beat for Renaud. But Alabama is now the strong favorite.

Wildcard pick

Woods to announce Friday

Woods

DL Peter Woods will announce his decision on July 8. The five-star defensive lineman from Thompson HS is down to Alabama and Clemson.

For two years, the 6-3, 265-pound Woods was considered a strong Bama lean. But shortly after his visit to Clemson last month, speculation emerged that Woods had privately committed to Dabo Swinney. Then word got out that Woods picked Clemson in his commitment video, which won't be released publicly until he announces his decision on the 8th.

Bottom line, there are sources telling TI that, even if Woods picks Clemson on the 8th, he will ultimately end up at Alabama.

Mauigoa's decision

At 2 PM CT today, five-star offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa of IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL will announce his decision. The 6-5, 330-pound Mauigoa is expected to pick between Alabama, Miami and Tennessee.

Following his visit to Tuscaloosa last month, the Tide made a big jump up Mauigoa's list. But both Miami and Tennessee are two of the heavy-hitters when it comes to enticing prospects with NIL money. That's not to say that Mauigoa would make a decision primarily based on an NIL deal. A proven track record for developing first round NFL offensive linemen is very high on Mauigoa's priority list. And nobody develops first rounders like Bama.

We hear that Mauigoa and his family have stayed in regular contact not only with the Tide staff but also with others connected to the program.

Bottom line, while TI isn't making a prediction on Mauigoa, no matter which school he picks today, the early signing period is still five months away. There could be a lot of twists and turns between now and December.