Alabama Crimson Tide football recruiting

Mobile Christian head coach Ronnie Cottrell has been very high on his star player, Deontae Lawson, for a long time. The Alabama commitment completed his high school career last week in a loss to American Christian. Coach Cottrell, who was an assistant coach at Alabama and Florida State, was thankful for the years he coached Lawson.

"I don't know if I will ever have a guy like Deontae again," Coach Cottrell said. "He is such a special player. He reminds me of some of the greats we had at Florida State and Alabama. He is great leader.

"He was more vocal this year. He isn't a guy who is going to talk all the time, but when he says something you listen. He is such a dynamic leader. Whenever we needed to make a play he made them.

""Deontae is very athletic. He came to Mobile Christian in the 9th grade as a baseball player. He also ended up being one of the top basketball players on the team. His record as a football player here is well documented. I haven't seen anything he can't do."

Coach Cottrell compared Lawson to former FSU great and 11-time NFL Pro Bowler Derrick Brooks earlier this year. He mentioned the comparison again on Friday morning.

"He reminds me so much of Derrick Brooks as far as his priorities- academics, personal life and family," his coach said. "He never missed anything here. The things important to him are important to coaches. I think when we gets in that system in college he is really going to take advantage of his opportunities."