Five-star decision: Jaime Ffrench, Mandarin wide receiver, announces college choice

Jaime Ffrench reached for the straw hat, and that meant only one thing.

From Greenland Road to the Crimson Tide.

Surrounded by friends and family, Mandarin's rising junior wide receiver donned the straw hat that Nick Saban made famous, and announced his college commitment to Alabama football on Saturday at Jacksonville's Southpoint Baptist Church.

Ffrench, listed as a five-star prospect, a top-five receiver nationwide and a top-15 recruit overall in the 247Sports composite for the class of 2025, is on course to join a relatively short list of Jacksonville-area players to represent the SEC West giants in the Saban era.

Since Saban's hiring in January 2007, Alabama's only scholarship signees directly out of a Northeast Florida high school are First Coast wide receiver Chris Black in 2012, Yulee running back Derrick Henry in 2013, Bolles quarterback Mac Jones in 2017 and Sandalwood cornerback Jahquez Robinson in 2020.

Named to the ESPN Junior 300 earlier this year, Ffrench had named a final five Wednesday of Alabama, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State. He first reached for a Florida State cap during the ceremony before pulling the Alabama hat from beneath the table.

"It's definitely a blessing," he said. "A lot of people would kill for this spot I'm in right now. I'd definitely say that I'm thankful and I'm ready to go."

'It's a blessing': ESPN Junior 300 Jaime Ffrench on Mandarin's ring pursuit

TUSCALOOSA TARGET

Although Ffrench has received more than 30 scholarship offers in all from a virtual Who's Who of college football powers, he said that he felt certain about his Alabama decision on June 9 following his visit to the Crimson Tide earlier in that week.

"I locked it in with Coach Saban. I let him know everything I was going to do," he said. "And they were down, they were excited, they were pumped."

At Alabama, he adds to an already-loaded class for 2025. Saban has previously received commitments from IMG Academy running back Anthony Rogers and Saraland (Ala.) wide receiver Ryan Williams, ranked as the top players at their positions nationwide by 247Sports. The Crimson Tide's 2024 class, headlined by Carlsbad (Calif.) quarterback Julian Sayin, also ranks near the top nationwide.

"The chemistry they have with the recruits they're building, Julian Sayin, Ryan, they're all like bros," Ffrench said. "Being around them, getting to know the scheme, that will be quicker for us to get around."

A WINNING TRACK RECORD

What will the Crimson Tide be adding? A playmaker.

The 6-1, 185-pound Ffrench has grabbed the attention of recruiters with his combination of receiving skills, pulling down footballs in traffic and turning on the acceleration and agility to transform short tosses into game-breaking gains.

During his sophomore season, he caught 44 passes for 671 yards and five touchdowns as Mandarin earned the Florida High School Athletic Association's District 1-4M title.

"He can light up a room, and his athletic talents can light up a scoreboard," Mandarin head football coach Toby Bullock said.

Still, Ffrench emphasized that he's hungry to continue improving his game before his college kickoff.

"Getting stronger and faster, knowing more football and getting more knowledge from my coaches," he said.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS AT MANDARIN

With two more years of high school competition to come, Ffrench is eyeing the next step in the talent-packed Mustangs' bid to add further silverware to their FHSAA Class 8A trophy from 2018.

There's no shortage of future college prospects for the Mustangs, who finished 5-5 last fall. In the 2025 class, quarterback Tramell Jones has already committed to Florida State and safety Hylton Stubbs has received more than two dozen offers.

Mandarin's 2024 recruits include two national secondary stars in the cornerback pair of A.J. Belgrave-Shorter and Jon Mitchell, both committed to Penn State, as well as multiple other players drawing college attention at positions ranging from the offensive backfield to the line.

The Mustangs, who compete alongside Atlantic Coast and Sandalwood in District 1-4M, begin their season Aug. 25 against Fletcher at the Corral.

"I see myself getting prepared to win a state title with my team," Ffrench said. "We've got something special building here at Mandarin."

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaime Ffrench commits to Alabama Crimson Tide college football