Baldwin County has always been full of athletic talent, and a plethora of players from the area have gone on to have successful careers at the collegiate and/or professional level.
So in this …
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Baldwin County has always been full of athletic talent, and a plethora of players from the area have gone on to have successful careers at the collegiate and/or professional level.
So in this weekly series, I’ll be highlighting how former local stars fared each week, breaking down their performances and how their respective careers are progressing.
If I’ve missed anybody that I should be including, don’t hesitate to contact parker@gulfcoastmedia.com and I’ll add them to the list.
In this week’s edition, we take a look at Fairhope alum Caden Creel leading Jax State to a narrow road win over Kennesaw State, Gulf Shores' Carter Byrd intercepting a pass in a second straight game with SELA and more:
Denver Broncos | Cornerback | Third Season
High School: Spanish Fort Toros
Previous Game: 23-17 W @ Los Angeles Chargers
Personal Stats: 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass breakup
Abrams-Draine came up with his most productive game of the season against the Chargers as the Broncos got above .500.
Next Game: vs. Seattle Seahawks | 7:15 p.m. | Thursday, Oct. 15
NC State Wolfpack | Safety | Junior
High School: Gulf Shores Dolphins
Previous Game: 38-14 L vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Personal Stats: 2 tackles
Royal tacked on two more tackles to his total, but the Wolfpack fell to 3-3 overall.
Next Game: @ Stanford Cardinal | 9:30 p.m. | Friday, Oct. 23
NC State Wolfpack | Defensive Tackle | Senior
High School: Foley Lions
Previous Game(s): 38-14 vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Personal Stats: 1 tackle
Prim now has recorded six total tackles this season.
Next Game: @ Stanford Cardinal | 9:30 p.m. | Friday, Oct. 23
Jacksonville State Gamecocks | Quarterback | Redshirt-Junior
High School: Fairhope Pirates
Previous Game: 27-26 W @ Kennesaw State Owls
Personal Stats: 311 passing yards, 59% completion, 10 carries, 30 rushing yards, 2 total touchdowns
Creel helped guide his team to a gutsy road win over the Owls as the Gamecocks began the mid-week portion of their conference schedule.
The former Pirate led Jax State on a game-winning drive in the closing moments to set his team up for a field goal to take the lead following a back-and-forth affair.
This was also the second time Creel has eclipsed the 300-yard mark through the air this season, which comes after he only hit 200 once in 2025.
Next Game: vs. Florida International Golden Panthers | 7:00 p.m. | Tuesday, Oct. 13
Miami (OH) Redhawks | Linebacker | Redshirt-Senior
High School: Fairhope Pirates
Previous Game(s): 20-19 W @ UMass Minutemen
Personal Stats: 6 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss
Myrick tied for third on the team in tackles as Miami (OH) secured its first MAC win of the season.
Next Game: vs. Akron Zips | 2:30 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 17
Troy Trojans | Tight End | Freshman
High School: Gulf Shores Dolphins
Previous Game(s): 55-34 W vs. Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Personal Stats: 2 catches, 9 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
Hampton recorded the first touchdown of his career against Southern Miss, as he hauled in a five-yard pass just before halftime to push Troy’s lead to 31-7.
The former Dolphin was the only player to run a route on the play, with the Trojans lulling the Golden Eagles' defense to sleep with play-action.
The pair of receptions were Hampton’s third and fourth of the season thus far.
Next Game: @ Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns | 4:00 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 17
UAB Blazers | Wide Receiver | Redshirt-Senior
High School: Baldwin County Tigers
Previous Game(s): 38-13 L @ Memphis Tigers
Personal Stats: 3 catches, 79 receiving yards, 2 punt returns, 17 punt return yards
Mims led all players in receiving, but the Blazers saw their winning streak snapped at two in Memphis.
Next Game: vs. East Carolina Pirates | 6:30 p.m. | Thursday, Oct. 15
Southern Jaguars | Running Back | Senior
High School: Spanish Fort Toros
Previous Game(s): 28-14 W @ Prairie View A&M Panthers
Personal Stats: 11 carries, 27 rushing yards, 1 reception, 7 receiving yards
Franklin helped the Jaguars halt a two-game losing streak by taking down the Panthers.
Next Game: @ Texas Southern Tigers | 2:00 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 24
Southeast Louisiana Lions | Defensive Back | Redshirt-Freshman
High School: Gulf Shores Dolphins
Previous Game: 13-3 L vs. UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros
Personal Stats: 5 tackles, 1 pass breakup, 1 interception
Following a breakout performance two weeks ago, Byrd maintained his personal momentum by intercepting a pass for the second game in a row.
Also ranking among the top tacklers on SELA, the former Dolphin has become one of the more reliable contributors across the Lions’ roster.
Next Game: vs. Lamar Cardinals | 4:00 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 17
West Georgia Wolves | Wide Receiver | Freshman
High School: St. Michael Cardinals
Previous Game(s): 30-20 L @ Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Personal Stats: 3 catches, 27 receiving yards
Following a bye week, Jones hauled in a trio of passes against the Colonels, giving him 17 receptions on the season.
Next Game: vs. Austin Peay Governors | 6:00 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 17
Belhaven Blazers | Wide Receiver | Junior
High School: Daphne Trojans
Previous Game(s): 35-21 vs. UNC Wesleyan Bishops
Personal Stats: 2 catches, 36 receiving yards
Davis provided a highlight with a 31-yard reception against the Bishops.
Next Game: @ Greensboro Pride | 12:00 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 17
Huntingdon College Hawks | Linebacker | Senior
High School: Gulf Shores Dolphins
Previous Game(s): 31-20 W vs. Greensboro Pride
Personal Stats: 5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 pass breakup, 1 QB hurry
Cooper stuffed the stat sheet yet again during the Hawks’ win over the Pride, as he’s now solidified himself as one of the most productive players on the Huntingdon defense.
Next Game: @ North Carolina Wesleyan Bishops | 11:00 a.m. | Saturday, Oct. 17
Huntingdon College Hawks | Linebacker | Freshman
High School: Orange Beach Makos
Previous Game(s): 31-20 W vs. Greensboro Pride
Personal Stats: 1 tackle
Brunick recorded his tenth tackle of the season against the Pride.
Next Game: @ North Carolina Wesleyan Bishops | 11:00 a.m. | Saturday, Oct. 17
