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Earlier this week, Alabama safety Jordan Battle turned heads when he compared Javon Baker to the Crimson Tide’s all-time leading receiver, Amari Cooper. Meanwhile, back home in Georgia, the freshman receiver’s trainer says he sees a mix of Odell Beckham Jr. and Calvin Ridley.
Alabama fans, on the other hand, haven't seen much of Baker at all. Although, this week they've heard quite a bit of hype.
“He's a great player,” Battle said. “He has great routes, and he has probably the greatest hands on the team.”
Those outside the Tide’s program will have to take Battle at his word.
A closed-off fall camp created a mystique around Baker, who made a nice impression upon joining the team in the summer. Although until last week, the four-star prospect had yet to see the field.
Baker made his Alabama debut against Tennessee, coming on for a pair of snaps at receiver while also serving on the punt return team. The cameo did little to shed light on the freshman’s potential. However, Tide fans could soon see what the fuss is all about as Baker’s role figures to increase following what appears to be a season-ending injury to Jaylen Waddle.
Those who have worked with Baker in the past will tell you seeing is believing.
Franklin Stephens knew he was inheriting a good bit of talent when he took over the head coaching job at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Ga. last season. The Indians' loaded roster included current Florida commit Carlos Del Rio-Wilson at quarterback, Michigan State signee Jordon Simmons at running back and current Clemson commit Dacari Collins at receiver. Then there was Baker, the highest-rated prospect of the bunch.
Upon taking the job, Stephens remembers hearing stories about the 6-foot-2, 195-pound receiver who had torn apart recruiting camps and seven-on-seven tournaments. It didn’t take long for Baker to introduce his skill set in person.
“The first time I saw him do something that surprised me was during spring practice,” Stephens said. “He was running a post, and I saw him throw his hand up like a baseball player. I had no idea what he was doing. He was shielding the sun with his eyes, and at the last second, he made the catch. It’s all been history from right there.”
Baker went on to record 58 receptions for 629 yards and 11 touchdowns during his senior season last year. Perhaps the most memorable of those grabs came on a fourth-and-9 against North Cobb as he came down with a one-handed catch while falling backward in the end zone.
T.J. Brown, who serves as a wide receiver specialist at TopShelf Performance Training in Atlanta, is no longer phased when he sees Baker pull in catches like that. After working with the receiver the past two and a half years, those plays have become routine.
“Sometimes I think he might catch better with one hand than he catches with two,” Brown said. “His ball skills are amazing, especially with his size. He plays like he’s 6-5.”
While Baker’s hands have never been in question, he spent this offseason working with Brown, fine-tuning his fundamentals for a smoother transition to the next level. The two worked primarily on Baker’s release while also breaking down different ways to attack defenses with certain leverages.
“The thing about Javon is he’s already a freak athlete,” Brown said. “You throw the ball up anywhere around him and he’s going to catch it. On top of that, he’s got great routes. He understands leverages. He understands dropping your weight. He understands a lot of the little stuff that we worked on.”
“But Javon’s biggest asset is his mind. Javon is a workaholic. He works his butt off. Even as good as he was in high school and as good as he is now, he’s always constantly working. He just has this want to, this persistent work ethic like no other. The better he gets, the more he wants to work.”
Brown wasn’t the only person in Baker’s ear this summer. Before joining the Crimson Tide, the young receiver also caught the eye of a former Alabama great Calvin Ridley as the Atlanta Falcons receiver stopped by to take in a training session in May.
After watching Baker go through a few reps, Ridley turned to Brown.
“‘Dang bro, he’s about to be a freshman?” he questioned. “I was thinking he was already in college.”
While Ridley was impressed, he had a few suggestions of his own. And in typical Ridley fashion, he set about showing Baker some new tricks.
Borrowing a pair of cleats and gloves from Brown, the NFL receiver joined the workout himself, demonstrating moves against a cornerback before having Baker replicate them. From there, the two went back and forth breaking down defenders in what resembled a high-level game of HORSE.
“They were just piggybacking off each other,” Brown recalled. “Javon would just mirror a route that Calvin was doing or Calvin would tell him, ‘Go run this or do this.’ It takes a lot to impress Calvin, but Calvin was really impressed. He was like ‘Man, he’s going to be a dog. I’ve got to rock with him.’”
Upon arriving at Alabama, Baker instantly generated attention as director of sports science Dr. Matt Rhea announced over Twitter that the receiver posted the fastest time of the day during summer workouts.
Baker put an emphasis on adding more speed to his game this offseason, pairing up with former Olympian Dwight Phillips. The 2004 gold-medal winner in the long jump now serves as a speed coach to several notable NFL players, including Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt and San Francisco 49ers receiver Marquise Goodwin. His work with Baker this summer centered around fixing the receiver’s mechanics in order to help him not only reach his top-end speed faster but also avoid injuries.
Phillips taught Baker the concept of frontside mechanics — the force generated as a runner prepares to strike the ground — specifically working with the receiver on bringing up his arms to generate more power.
“He took a liking to the concept, and he just bought in,” Phillips said. “It’s going to help his first step now that he’s applying force properly. I think he’s just reaping the benefit from that ever since he’s gone into Alabama. He’s already a fast kid. It’s just about putting him in the right position to optimize it. He’s only going to get faster.”
Battle wasn’t the only one to commend Baker on his physical ability this week. Nick Saban also spoke highly of the freshman, calling him a “very physical player” while stating he has a big catch radius and really good hands. However, as is the case with all of Alabama’s young receivers, Baker’s ability to translate those traits into a game-like setting will ultimately determine his role moving forward.
“They’re all capable, and those are the guys that we need to show some maturity now in being able to prepare for the game, know what to do, go out there and execute it so we can utilize some of the talents that they have,” Saban said of Alabama’s young receivers. “And he’s certainly one of the guys that could help us do that.”
Through five games, Alabama has yet to dip into its receiving depth as Waddle, DeVonta Smith, John Metchie III and Slade Bolden are the only four wideouts to record a reception. Bolden only got in on the action last week while filling in for Waddle in the slot.
What does that mean for Baker moving forward?
In a week full of comparisons, Brown has one more. The trainer says he wouldn’t be surprised if Baker followed in the footsteps of Smith, who had a quiet freshman season in 2017 before ascending into stardom during the national championship game against Georgia.
“A kid like him, all it’s going to take is that one catch,” Brown said of Baker. “After that, everybody in America is going to be talking about him. He’s like a lightning bolt. He’s a big play waiting to happen.”
