Top 10 Alabama defensive players for 2023 HS football season

6. Zion Grady, Jr., Charles Henderson

A fellow junior defensive end, Grady was simply dominant as a sophomore last fall. During the season, Grady recorded 108 tackles, 37 of them for loss, 22 sacks, three fumble recoveries, three blocked field goals and two fumble recoveries for a 12-2 Trojans team that finished as the Class 5A runner-up. Grady was named first-team all-state as a result.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound defensive end is considered one of the top juniors regardless of position, ranking as the No. 23 player nationally by 247 Sports and No. 3 player in the state by On3. Grady holds 22 scholarship offers including from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, Texas and USC among others.