As an NFL Draft and college football analyst for ESPN, Jordan Reid has scouted and seen some of the best football players the nation has to offer.

On Friday night, he’ll get a glimpse of a few more, including Alabama wide receiver commit Ryan Williams.

Reid will be a part of the ESPN crew when Williams and reigning 6A state champion Saraland High host two-time reigning Tennessee champ Lipscomb Academy at 7 p.m.

“The one player I’m really looking forward to seeing up close is Ryan Williams,” he said this week during an interview on Sports Talk 99.5 FM in Mobile. “He is the box office attraction. He’s the one everyone is looking forward to seeing in this game. This is a big-time matchup for him because he is going up against one of the top-ranked defensive backs in Tennessee in Kaleb Beasley.”

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Williams, the top-ranked junior in the state of Alabama, won the Alabama Sports Writers Association Mr. Football award a year ago when he caught 88 passes for 1,641 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also rushed for 700 yards and 15 TDs, threw a touchdown pass and scored on a pair of punt returns for a total of 42 TDs.

“You have to pause the screen to find No. 1 because they use him all over the place,” said Reid, who will be providing color commentary on his first high school game for ESPN. “He could be at Wildcat quarterback. He plays some slot, then obviously he plays outside as well. He is this offense.

“Stefon Diggs is one common comparison for him that I think fits just because of his route running, how strong his hands are and his ability to return kicks and punts. There isn’t anything he can’t do. He’s already committed to Alabama. We know the long lineage Alabama has at wide receiver. He is just the next in line.”

Reid said Williams’ potential is “limitless.”

“We are talking about one of the best players maybe ever to come out of the state of Alabama, and we’ve seen some great ones,” he said. “At 6-1, 175, he’s not overly big but his body is still developing and that’s the scary part.

“He’s still operating off natural ability and being able to out athlete the opposition right now. He’s still figuring out the details and the nuances of the game. Once he gets that down, we are talking about a guy who definitely has Sunday type of potential.”

Saraland will host ESPN for the first time in the program’s 13-year history. Reid will join play-by-play man Matt Schick and sideline reporter Shelby Coppedge for the game.

It’s the season-opener for Saraland. Lipscomb lost to IMG Academy 35-10 last week. Reid also has been impressed with what he has seen from the two quarterbacks – Saraland’s K.J. Lacey, a Texas commit, and Lipscomb’s Deuce Knight, who is uncommitted.

Here is what Reid said on those two juniors:

Lacey: “It’s funny coming over from the NFL Draft side and transitioning over to watching some high school kids now. I’m watching this small kid wearing No. 9 and I’m like, ‘Oh man, he looks just like Bryce Young when he was coming out of Mater Dei.’ Same number, same size. He will get a lot of comparisons to Bryce because of how well he can play in the pocket. He’s very poised. He’s a very balanced passer but also, he’s dangerous outside the pocket as well. He’s a terrific decision maker with only five interceptions a year ago. I think he is going to take his game to another level this year.”

Knight: “Obviously, Deuce is much bigger (than Lacey) at 6-4.5 Deuce is a left-handed kid with a very strong arm. He can play inside and outside the pocket. They didn’t give him a bunch of time last week because they struggled blocking that IMG defensive front. We’ll see how he does this week. They feel as though he will get a little more time in the pocket this week. He’s not a true traditional pocket passer, but he can win from the pocket and create outside of it as well. He’s a player with a very advanced game for his age as well.”

STAR POWER

Top recruits for each team with state ranking according to On3 industry rankings and college commitments.

LIPSCOMB ACADEMY

Class of 2024

Kaleb Beasley, DB, Tennessee (1)

Edwin Spillman, LB, Tennessee (8)

Class of 2025

Deuce Knight, QB, Uncommitted (4)

Chauncey Gooden, OL, Uncommitted (6)

CJ Jimcoily, DB, Uncommitted (11)

SARALAND

Class of 2025

Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama (1)

KJ Lacey, QB, Texas (7)

Antonio Coleman, DL, Uncommitted (14)

Dillon Alfred, WR, Uncommitted (15)