A-List No. 1: Gordo LB Ben Davis is the state's top prospect

Pretty much everything around Ben Davis seems to point toward Tuscaloosa.

For starters, crimson and white football is in his blood. His father played for Alabama from 1983-86 and cemented himself as the school's career tackles leader. Ben grew up an Alabama fan in his hometown of Gordo, which sits less than 25 miles from Tuscaloosa. Dozens of recruiting reporters have publicly predicted he will follow in his dad's footsteps and sign with the Tide next February.

Despite all this, Ben remains uncommitted and isn't giving any clues as to where he'll play his college football.

"I brag to my friends about him sometimes," said Bennett, Ben's little brother. "But it gets on my nerves when they ask me where he's going. I just tell them to ask him."

The usual answer?

"You'll see on Signing Day," said Ben, who tops AL.com's 2016 A-List of the state's best senior college football prospects. "I just want to get out and take all my visits, see different places and see which one I can be comfortable at for the next four years."

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Ben's father, Wayne Davis, was once a highly-recruited prospect out of Gordo High himself. After being courted by a number of schools, he narrowed his choices to Alabama and Auburn and ultimately picked the Tide because of his relationship with assistant coach Sylvester Croom.

Recruiting has evolved quite a bit since then, with the internet and social media at the fingertips of today's recruits -- but Wayne said he believes not much has changed at the core.

"The intensity of the schools and the recruiting process is basically still the same," he said. "The coaches have to go out and get guys. It was great. I loved it. But the one suitcase of letters I had over the course of my recruiting process doesn't even measure up to the almost five suitcases Ben has."

Wayne played for two years in the NFL with the Cardinals before a shoulder injury forced him to give up football. For 19 years, he and his wife, Faye, remained in Mesa, Arizona, where Ben was born.

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