Alabama
Spiegelman Awards: Best of the high school season
Spiegelman Awards: Best of the high school season
Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman has been all over the Southeast this season, scouting top high school prospects from the 2025, 2026, 2027 and even 2028 classes. Here are his awards for the top performances he saw in person.
THIS SERIES: Greg Smith’s awards for this season
MR. PLAYMAKER: Na’eem Offord
Offord fits the bill as a playmaker in the secondary. Offord is long at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, and his ability to accelerate in a hurry and seamlessly break on the football is evident in coverage. The five-star prospect is dynamic in the defensive backfield and also on special teams, where he’s returned multiple punts for touchdowns as a senior.
He has the ability to smother receivers and mirror routes. He has superb anticipation and suddenness, and has shined as a senior.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT DOTTINGTHEEYES.COM
COOL UNDER PRESSURE: Julian Lewis
Lewis has been dynamic in his senior season at Carrollton (Ga.) High. He’s been a highly efficient, high-level game manager that’s stepped up in big-game moments week in and week out against a rigid high school schedule. Lewis is immune to pressure and delivers in big moments.
The five-star USC verbal is highly efficient and extremely accurate on throws on in-breaking routes and delivers great balls from off-platform throws. We love Lewis’ ability to command an offense.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH USC FANS AT TROJANSPORTS.COM
ONE GIANT LEAP: Jared Smith
There might not be another defensive end who has made a bigger statement as a senior than Smith. The fourth-ranked defensive end in the Rivals250 has been absolutely electric flying off the line and making splash plays off the edge.
Smith has exceptional burst and a quick, explosive first step. He turns the corner with conviction and plays with a high motor. At 6-foot-5 and north of 230 pounds, Smith’s length and size allow him to impact plays consistently.
No prospect in the Southeast has taken a bigger leap forward than Smith, a key component of Auburn’s top-five recruiting class.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH AUBURN FANS AT AUBURNSPORTS.COM
SWISS ARMY KNIFE: Michael Terry
Terry wears multiple hats for his high school team. He sees snaps out of the shotgun, out of the backfield, and lined up as a receiver on the perimeter. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder brings physicality out of the backfield and out wide. He has sure hands and is able to add yardage after contact and break free from hosts of defenders.
Texas and others are recruiting Terry as a hybrid H-back, where he would be a mismatch out of different formations as a pass-catcher and weapon out of the backfield.
MR. ELECTRIC: Adrian Wilson
Wilson, a recent Colorado commit, is one of the most electric receivers from the Lone Star State. Wilson has outstanding body control and is a crafty route-runner – with an explosive release off the line and fantastic hands on the back end. Wilson is smooth in and out of his breaks and is a fluid receiver able to adjust and make plays on the fly.
He’s been doing this for years at Pflugerville (Texas) Weiss and is primed to be a difference-maker in Boulder.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH COLORADO FANS AT CUSPORTSREPORT.COM
ADONIS: David Sanders
Sanders has been rock-solid anchoring the offensive line at Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day. The elite OL is a sculpted 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, and has been dynamic working on both sides of the ball as a senior. Projecting as an offensive tackle for the Vols, Sanders has been brilliant. He anticipates well in pass pro and is strong enough to withstand power rushes and agile enough to dispel speed rushers off the edge.
Sanders is light on his feet and plays with great leverage. He thrived blocking in space and clearing paths in the run game in motion. Sanders was one of the best in-person evals from a left tackle in recent memory.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT VOLREPORT.COM
THE SNUGGY: Shamar Arnoux
Arnoux has battled injuries for parts of his high school career, and the senior has been absolutely stellar in coverage on the perimeter. The USC verbal out of the Peach State is able to effectively blanket receivers and use his excellent length and fluidity in coverage to cover bigger receivers outside and move well with quicker pass-catchers, too.
Arnoux is undoubtedly a stock-up candidate after this season, proving to be an aggressive, ball-hawking cornerback and a willing tackler, too.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH USC FANS AT TROJANSPORTS.COM
THE TAKE OVER: Deuce Knight
Knight has the ability to take over a game, a prerequisite as an elite QB in this era of football. As a senior, Knight has continued to improve with his efficiency as a passer and decision-maker. He enjoyed a strong off-season throwing the football at different levels of the field.
As a senior at Lucedale (Miss.) George County High, he’s kept his eyes downfield, effectively evaded pressure and maneuvered efficiently within the pocket to extend plays. Knight can maintain accuracy and touch on throws when on the move.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder leaned on his legs in critical game situations and is a devastating runner in the open field. The Auburn commit’s mobility is an absolute game-changer when can he extend plays to keep defenses off-guard.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH AUBURN FANS AT AUBURNSPORTS.COM
Alabama residents will make their choice for U.S. Congress during the May 19 primary, and officials are urging people to vote despite an ever-evolving situation surrounding the state’s congressional maps.
Currently, there are legal disputes surrounding the Congressional districts map in use in Alabama. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling in late April on a redistricting case in Louisiana, Alabama asked for the preliminary injunction which barred them from redrawing their maps until 2030 to be lifted, which the courts have granted as of May 11.
Though there’s been some confusion in the face of ongoing legal motions regarding the maps, what is certain is that primary elections will go on as planned despite Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey calling for a special election in August for the affected congressional districts — Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7.
The Northern District Court of Alabama, which originally issued the injunction, still has to reconsider the case. The court asked state officials in a May 12 order to explain the plan for the 2026 elections and to explain how they plan to “ensure that all Alabamians may timely and efficaciously exercise their constitutional right to vote.”
There are two more elections after the primaries this month. On June 16, the state will hold primary runoff elections, and on Nov. 3, the state will host the general election. Additional candidates could come up after the primaries conclude, so once the names are finalized, the ballots may appear differently in November.
The special election in races affected by new congressional maps is currently planned for Aug. 11, though officials — including Ivey — have encouraged all voters to cast their ballots in the regular May 19 primary.
Who’s running for U.S. Senate?
The seat currently held by U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is up for election. Tuberville, who has thrown his hat in the governor’s race, will not be returning to the position, so all candidates listed would be new to the Senate. The other seat is held by U.S. Sen. Katie Britt and won’t be open until her term expires in 2028.
Republican candidates
- Seth Burton
- Dale Shelton Deas Jr.
- Jared Hudson
- Steve Marshall
- Barry Moore
- Rodney Walker
Some names on this list are already serving in federal and Alabama state government positions, with Marshall currently serving as the state’s Attorney General, and Moore currently representing Alabama’s 1st District in the House of Representatives and previously representing the 2nd District. Of the candidates, President Donald Trump has endorsed only one, which is Moore.
Hudson is the only candidate who has attempted to run for another position, albeit unsuccessfully — he ran for sheriff of Jefferson County in 2022, but lost to incumbent Sheriff Mark Pettway.
Democratic candidates
- Dakarai Larriett
- Kyle Sweetser
- Everett Wess
- Mark S. Wheeler II
Who’s running for House of Representatives?
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell is running unopposed in District 7. Voters in every district have candidates from both sides of the aisle to consider.
Considering the special election that is now on the horizon, candidate names may appear differently on ballots in August if different maps are approved. For the May 19 primaries, the following is how candidate names will appear.
District 1 Republican Candidates
- Jerry Carl
- James (Jimmy) Dees
- Rhett Marques
- Joshua McKee
- John Mills
- James Richardson
- Austin Sidwell
District 1 Democratic Candidates
Senate candidate Moore currently holds the District 1 position, so no candidates are incumbents. A few of the candidates in this race have previous political experience. Carl is a former member of the U.S. House and used to represent District 1, with his tenure in office lasting from 2021-25. Marques is a current Alabama State House representative.
District 2 Republican Candidates
District 2 Democratic Candidates
U.S. Rep. Figures currently holds the District 2 position.
District 3 Republican Candidates
District 3 Democratic Candidates
U.S. Rep. Rogers currently holds the District 3 position.
District 4 Republican Candidates
- Robert B. Aderholt
- Tommy Barnes
District 4 Democratic Candidates
- Amanda N. Pusczek
- Shane Weaver
U.S. Rep. Aderholt currently holds the District 4 position. His one Republican opponent, Barnes, has a history in public service, serving as a Colbert County Commissioner.
District 5 Republican Candidates
District 5 Democratic Candidates
- Jeremy Devito
- Candice Dollar Duvieilh
- Andrew Sneed
U.S. Rep. Strong currently holds the District 5 position.
District 6 Republican candidates
District 6 Democratic candidates
U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer currently holds the District 6 position.
How do I check my voter registration status?
To vote in the primary election, voters need to have been registered to vote in Alabama for 15 days before the election is scheduled to happen.
To check your registration status, visit vote.gov.
Sarah Clifton covers business for the Montgomery Advertiser. You can reach her at sclifton@montgome.gannett.com or follow her on X @sarahgclifton and TikTok @sarahgclifton. To support her work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
PENSACOLA, Fla. — A bipartisan bill is making its way through Washington that would preserve and possibly restore a famous piece of naval aviation history.
The F-14 Tomcat was in service with the Navy for more than 30 years and was famously used in the original “Top Gun” movie.
But when the aircraft retired in 2005, the U.S. government destroyed a majority of the airplanes that were here in the U.S. This made the prospects of the jet returning to the skies next to impossible.
The “Maverick Act” hopes to bring a jet that inspired a generation back to life.
“The Maverick Act got a lot of support,” “It passed the Senate unanimously. It now heads to Congress for a final vote.”
Pensacola Navy veteran Dan McCort can still feel the raw power the F-14 Tomcat brought to naval aviation.
“It was a blast to fly. I gotta tell you I got it,” McCort said. “I love the airplane. I love the missions because it came with a huge mission set.”
The only country in the world flying the jet was Iran. The jets were given to Iran in 1979. But when the government was overthrown, the jets fell into the hands of an anti-American government.
Because of that, when the jet retired in 2006, the U.S. ordered most of the aircraft and its parts be destroyed.
During Operation Epic Fury, American and Israeli pilots destroyed Iran’s entire Air Force, including all the remaining flyable F-14s.
“We had to take them out, but boy that was hard for me to watch,” McCort said.
A bill dubbed the “Maverick Act” was introduced through a bipartisan effort. The legislation would preserve and restore three F-14s sitting in our nation’s boneyard.
“That airplane inspired an entire nation, partly because of the movie, partly because of the times it was hard Cold War, and it represented frankly American air power,” said McCort.
“A fantastic piece of equipment that served our country well,” Congressman Jimmy Patronis said. “But I can’t help but poke fun at it simply because of what Tom Cruise has done with the most recent ‘Top Gun’ movies.”
The bill calls for the Navy to donate the Tomcats to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where they will be restored. If there’s enough spare parts, the bill calls for one of them to be restored to flight status to be flown at airshows across the country.
All of this would be funded by private donors, and not American taxpayers.
“If there’s no taxpayer dollars being used to restore these things then put it on the table,” said Patronis.
McCort says restoring the airplane will cost millions of dollars.
“A foundation that could generate some donations to defer the costs of making this thing fly because it will not be inexpensive,” said McCort. “I believe we’ll pay dividends down the road, both for the museum as well as a recruiting opportunity… as well as a recruiting opportunity for the country in general, and for the Navy frankly.”
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