The A-List is AL.com’s ranking of the top 15 senior prospects in the state of Alabama. We will count down one each day until No. 1 is revealed Aug. 23.

Andalusia senior running back and Auburn commit J’Marion Burnette earned his nickname at a young age.

“When I was a baby, I used to be fat – F.A.T.,” he said. “When I got older, it just turned into Phat.”

And ‘Phat’ has turned into one of Alabama’s top high school running backs.

The 6-foot-2, 219-pound bruiser rushed for 1,473 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior in just 11 games. He comes in at No. 11 on AL.com’s A-List of the top senior recruits in the state.

“He’s definitely an impressive looking kid to be a running back,” Andalusia coach Trent Taylor said. “He’s had a really good summer. It wasn’t something that was talked about, but his weight had gotten up to 228. It wasn’t bad weight, but he’s worked hard this summer and is back down to 219. I think that is probably where he will play at this year.”

Burnette helped Andalusia to a 14-1 record and the Class 4A state championship a year ago. However, he had to sit out his team’s semifinal win over Montgomery Catholic and title game win over Cherokee County after suffering a concussion at Anniston in the quarterfinals.

“It is just part of the game unfortunately,” Burnette said this week. “I wasn’t too worried about it. I overcame it pretty fast. At least, we kept winning.”

Taylor and the Andalusia coaching staff took no chances with Burnette’s injury. However, the Hall of Fame coach said once his running back was fully cleared in January, it didn’t take him long to return to his routine.

“I rode over to Dothan with J’Marion for his appointment with the neurologist,” Taylor said. “The doctor said he was good to go. He came back that day and attacked the weight room, and it’s been like that ever since.”

One of Burnette’s strengths is obviously his overpowering size, but Taylor said that is not all there is to his senior standout.

“He definitely passes the eye test,” he said. “When you look at him, you can’t help but say, ‘My goodness, that is a big running back.’ But he also has the speed to run away from people. His hands are really good. He’s much more than just an oversized kid running the football. He brings a lot more to the table.”

Taylor said he knew from watching Burnette in junior high that he had a chance to be special. Burnette began to see consistent time in the Bulldog backfield as a ninth-grader even though Taylor admits to having concern about whether he was ready for varsity football.

“We had two guys we felt were going to be our running backs that year, but we needed both of those guys on defense, too,” he said. “So, as the year went on, J’Marion became more a part of what we were doing. Anytime you have a young kid you wonder if they can handle the mental aspect of the game. I knew physically it would not be a problem for J’Marion, but you never know mentally. That wasn’t a problem either.”

Burnette remembers the first varsity game he saw substantial playing time in against Charles Henderson.

“I rushed for 121 yards and got my first touchdown,” he said. “I remember being kind of beat up, though. It was my first time getting hit like that.”

He’s come a long way since that ninth-grade season.

“The game has taught me a lot,” he said. “The people I’ve been around have taught me a lot. I feel like I’ve matured. I’ve learned how to play my position and learned what they are trying to do on the defensive side of the ball. When I get the ball now, I know where I’m going or at least have an idea of where I think I’m going to go.”

As a sophomore, Burnette rushed for 1,989 yards and 25 touchdowns on 282 carries – an average of 7.1 yards per carry. He also had three receiving scores.

During his recruitment, Burnette built a strong bond with Auburn associate head coach Cadillac Williams. He committed to the Tigers in March.

“It was a hard decision, but it was probably the best decision I ever made,” Burnette said. “I just loved how coach Caddy and the rest of the staff approached me. They kept coming even when coach (Bryan) Harsin was let go. Coach (Hugh) Freeze came hard to.”

Taylor said he believes Burnette’s best days are ahead of him.

“The sky is the limit once he gets into that situation where he is at a regular training table and those types of things,” he said. “I think he can be as good as he wants to be depending on what his goals are not only for college but beyond that. God said to him, ‘I’ve touched your body, and it’s up to you to do what you want with it.’”

A-LIST NO. 11: J’MARION BURNETTE, ANDALUSIA

Position: Running back

Height/weight: 6-2, 219

College status: Committed to Auburn

Randy Kennedy’s scouting report: J’Marion Burnette is a nightmare for defensive players facing the Andalusia Bulldogs. The Auburn commit has good speed, but his size and strength are what make him worthy of playing in the SEC.

THE 2024 A-LIST

No. 15: Josh Flowers, QB, Baker

No. 14: Bobby Pruitt, LB, Theodore

No. 13: JaCorey Whitted, TE, McAdory

No. 12: Kevin Riley, RB, Tuscaloosa County

No. 11: J’Marion Burnette, RB, Andalusia