The hype surrounding Kobe Prentice began to take off shortly after he did. The speedy receiver turned heads at an Alabama camp last month, posting a 4.38 time in the 40-yard dash. His recruitment only accelerated from there.
Prentice committed to Maryland in late June before receiving a confirmed offer from Alabama. After decommitting to Maryland earlier this month, the Calera, Ala. native gave his pledge to his home-state Crimson Tide on Tuesday, becoming the 13th member of Alabama’s 2022 class.
Prentice’s newfound fame might have arrived in a flash, but his speed is nothing new.
Unlike Alabama, Jason Hamlin hasn’t timed Prentice in the 40-yard dash. Instead, the first-year head coach at Calera High School has been able to confirm the receiver’s game-changing ability with his own eyes.
Hamlin first witnessed Prentice’s ability to turn on the jets earlier this month as his team competed in a seven-on-seven tournament at the University of West Alabama. He’s been raving ever since.
“There was a play where he was gone,” Hamlin said. “They had him double covered, and he just blew past them like he was running against me. He got 10-15 yards past them, easy throw and catch, touchdown, and he hit the brakes before he ran out the back of the end zone. I was like, ‘Holy God, this kid can fly.’”
Despite his blazing speed, Prentice is currently unranked by Rivals. Hamlin doesn’t understand why more people haven’t “jumped on the Kobe train” just yet. However, the head coach is certainly a fan himself.
“He's not like anybody I’ve really ever coached,” Hamlin said. “He has elite talent, but he’s also really humble. He wants to be the best, so he’s always coming in early and staying late. He’s just always working to perfect his craft.”
After a little more than a month with Prentice, Hamlin has grown accustomed to the typical lunchtime phone calls from his star receiver. Even after going through workouts, Prentice is always pleading for a few more balls from the Jugs machine or some extra time to practice routes. The head coach is always happy to oblige.
The help goes both ways, too. Hamlin considers Prentice one of his coaches on the field and leans on the senior’s leadership in the locker room. Still glowing from his commitment Tuesday evening, Prentice received a call from his coach asking if he could help spread the news of a team event that had to be rescheduled due to the weather.
“I just called him and asked if he could help me relay the message, and he was like, ‘Done, Coach,’” Hamlin said. “No questions asked. He’s just really team-oriented. He’s one of the guys I know I can count on for anything.”
Prentice grew up an Alabama fan and has worn a bigger smile at practice since earning his offer from the Tide earlier this month. Outside of that, the playmaker hasn’t let the extra attention get to his head.
“You can tell he’s excited,” Hamlin said. “He’s always been a big Bama fan, and this is just his dream. He’s been ecstatic about the offer, but he’s still the same Kobe. He comes to work every day. He doesn’t flaunt that he’s SEC-worthy. He’s just happy to be around the guys.”
Hamlin said he’s talked with Alabama defensive line coach Freddie Roach, who is just as excited to get Prentice on board. As for how the 5-foot-11, 178-pound receiver fits into the Tide’s plans moving forward, his current head coach has one bit of advice: “Just find a way to get the ball into his hands and just let him do what he does.”
“They do amazing things at Alabama,” Hamlin said. “They’ll put the muscle and mass on him and keep his speed. I think that he can play slot or outside receiver. He’s got good enough hands and eyes that he could be a really good return man for them also. He’s going to be special.”
