In the recently revealed Rivals250 prospect rankings from the recruiting service Rivals, Gulf Shores rising junior Ronnie Royal was listed as the Class of 2024’s top all-purpose back in the nation.

While he also plays defense and returns punts and kicks, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound athlete recently showed off his hands as a receiver at the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge and was reclassified from a running back to an all-purpose back.

“(Royal) was ranked solely as a running back, but after catching passes so easily out of the backfield and from the slot and showing off those skills he was moved to all-purpose,” Rivals National Recruiting Director Adam Gorney said in a June 24 release.

Already a two-time high school all-American and a three-time all-state player, Royal holds offers from Alabama A&M, Arkansas, Austin Peay, Coastal Carolina, Florida State, Georgia Southern, Mississippi State, South Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Troy, UAB and UCF.

Royal – listed at No. 106 – was one of 11 players from Alabama listed on the Rivals250 and trailed only Leeds’ Kavion Henderson, who checked in at No. 84.

In recently updated top-20 rankings for Alabama’s Class of 2024 players, Royal was the No. 2 overall prospect and was followed not far behind by Foley wide receiver Perry Thompson at No. 16 as the only Baldwin County representatives.

Thompson, who verbally committed to the University of Alabama two weeks ago, also moved up to become the 46th nationally ranked wide receiver in his class.