2024 Crimson Tide Target Wardell Mack Recruiting's Ultimate Opportunist
The first thing that came to mind about Wardell Mack's story is where he attends high school: John Ehret in Marrero, Louisiana.
Is this the same John Ehret that was portrayed in the 2009 film Hurricane Season? (Starring Forest Whitaker and Taraji P. Henson, it's based on the true story of a high school basketball coach who takes a team of displaced students to state championships after Hurricane Katrina).
It is, but the Louisiana native's journey began before taking the field for the Patriots.
"Coming back to New Orleans, it was rough for a few years ," Mack said. "But we got back on track around 2010, 2011."
It's great news that things are going well outside of football. That said, Mack has proven to be one of the best prospects in the country for the recruiting Class of 2024, along with being the third-best player in Louisiana according to 247Sports composite rankings.
The cornerback is considered a consensus four-star talent.
One of Mack's best traits is his ability to defend man coverage, something he got to show at the Rivals Camp Series in New Orleans. One clip (below) showed him picking off a pass, while another clip showed him jamming a receiver to the point where he couldn't get off the line.
"It's just different," Mack said about his overall coverage ability.
Despite Mack's play, he flew relatively under the radar, as the only offer he had for most of January was from Tulane. However, that all changed when Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding made a random appearance at Dynamic Performance Training, the facility where Mack trains.
"He walked into the facility where I train out the blue," Mack said. "He saw me work out, and it just gave me extra motivation, an extra push."
It was then that Mack earned an offer from Alabama and got to know Golding, whom Mack says he has a great relationship with.
It's no surprise that Mack is performing to the standards of a potential Crimson Tide defensive back. His trainer, who also owns DPT, is former Alabama defensive back and fellow Louisiana native Robby Green Jr., someone who's had an impact on Mack both inside and outside the sport.
"He brought me from where I was before, to a bigger level," Mack said. "My life changed once I met him, that's for sure."
Outside of Alabama, Mack has offers from a plethora of schools, including Michigan State, Texas A&M, Arkansas and his home state LSU Tigers.
"They're in my backyard, so it was always 'LSU, LSU, LSU LSU,' you know," Mack said about growing up around the influence of LSU. He also said he watched the "Honey Badger," aka Tyrann Mathieu, during his time with the Tigers.
As far as recruiting goes, the only LSU game Mack has attended in 2022 was the spring game, but the 2024 recruit got a chance to watch Alabama's season opener against Utah State.
"It was different, I'm not gonna lie," Mack said. "I got chills just sitting in the stands."
Mack said he plans to be in attendance when LSU takes on Alabama in Bryant-Denny Stadium Nov. 5, and while he is still open to all schools, the Tigers and Crimson Tide are the biggest name program to have offered thus far.
See Also:
Alabama Crimson Tide Recruiting: Commitment Tracker
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