Mal Waldrep is a big man on his new campus
The 2025 OL talked to The Crowded Booth about his new school and its impact on his recruitment
Mal Waldrep is entering his first season at Central-Phenix City. He joins his QB Andrew Alford transferring from Brookstone School in Columbus. The increase in competition and recruiting buzz is a major reason for his decision to transfer.
“The main reason I transferred from Brookstone to Central was so that I could step up my game and get prepared for the next level. I felt as there wasn’t enough competition for me to be the best player I could be.”
Central plays in 7A classification in Alabama, along with playing major competition for non-region games. Alabama powerhouses Hewitt-Trussville and Auburn High are the schedule in 2023. Brookstone plays in GIAA AAAA/AAA District 5, which is a private school region in Georgia.
The 2025 OL has seen a major uptick in his recruitment since the switch.
“Recruitment for me has taken off over the last few months. Though I still had about 7 offers while at Brookstone, I transferred to central and doubled that number within a month. So many coaches came by during the spring and looked at all of our guys. Recruiting is going amazing now that I can actually talk to coaches.”
After just one summer with Central, Waldrep’s offer list has grown to sixteen, including offers from Auburn, Georgia, and Florida. Now being able to talk to coaches has really jump started his recruitment.
Moving from Brookstone to Power 5 pipeline Central could be a major culture shock to a young player, but Waldrep welcomes change. He is loving his new team saying, “It makes me more comfortable knowing that all of the guys around me on the team all have the same mindset as me and everyone has such a high motor. I love competing with such a talented defense and playing with an amazing offense every day.”
He knows going up against extremely talented teammates is making him better every day and helping him get to the next level.
Auburn has become a major player in Waldrep’s recruitment since Hugh Freeze and his staff took over on The Plains. Auburn has had a shaky relationship with Central and its coaching staffs, even after former QB Patrick Nix took over. Auburn has struggled to recruit in its backyard, but Freeze and Co. seem to be making it a priority.
“Auburn has definitely climbed up the ladder for me over the last year. The new staff is phenomenal and coach Freeze is a great recruiter. I didn’t receive much attention at all from the old staff and now I’m getting messages and calls from Auburn everyday. Coach [Jake] Thornton tells me I am number 1 on his list for the ‘25 class. That is a very good feeling.”
Freeze has talked at length about the importance of Auburn recruiting the state of Alabama well, and Central has to be a priority for them. For Auburn to be successful, they have to fend off out of state competition like Georgia and Clemson, who have recruited Central very well in recent years, and of course Alabama.
Mal Waldrep has big plans for his sophomore season and beyond. “My personal goal is to dominate every snap I play. I want to make the guy in front of me want to quit. And I want a 7a ring.”
At a place like Central, a 7A ring is a very gettable achievement. Central has played for the state title in three out of the last five years, winning it in 2018. We’ll be watching closely how Waldrep and Red Devils do this fall and in the years to come.