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2021 CB Al Ashford III
| Position | Height | Weight | School | 247 Composite Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Height | Weight | School | 247 Composite Ranking |
| CB | 6-foot-1 | 170 pounds | Cherry Creek (Colo.) High School | 3-star; No. 84 CB |
The Wisconsin Badgers are on a bit of a streak as they have now secured the commitment of a Colorado defensive back in two consecutive classes with freshman Max Lofy coming in with the 2020 class and Al Ashford III (Englewood, Colo.) of Cherry Creek High School signing with the 2021 class.
You may remember that Ashford picking Wisconsin was a complete surprise. Neither of the major recruiting sites even had the Badgers listed as an offer Ashford had received but he had apparently been talking with UW and liked what he heard.
2x State Champion
— Al Ashford III (@ashford_iii) December 6, 2020
44-1 High School Record
Career Stats: 7 INT 59 Tackles 23 PBUs 6 FF 2 TDs.....All on 41 Career Targets
Thank you to @CreekFB and @hhspanthers1 For all the great memories. It’s been a pleasure to be coached by great coaches, but better men! ️ ️ Out✌ pic.twitter.com/bVfoSz0UOx
Rankings
247 Composite: 3 stars; grade: .8551; No. 954 player in the nation; No. 84 CB; No. 9 CO
247 Sports: 3 stars; grade: 86; No. 70 CB; No. 8 CO
Rivals: 3 stars; 5.6 rating; No. 72 CB; No. 8 CO
ESPN: 3 stars; Grade: 74; No. 129 CB; No. 309 Regional; No. 13 CO
Verbally committed on September 12th, 2020
Before picking Wisconsin, most analysts had him pegged as staying home and playing for Colorado, with Kansas State being the second choice. Ashford is the second cornerback in the 2021 class with 3-star Ricardo Hallman (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) being the other.
YESSIR ... @Ashford_iii is part of the family!
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 16, 2020
This man is ready to ball!#NSD21 » #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/rgJ7HShnHa
247Sports’ Blair Angulo describes Ashford thusly: “The 6-foot-1, 170-pound prospect has a high-upside frame with length and room to add muscle mass. He’s a wiry defensive back with plus-plus IQ and situational awareness and is competitive near the line of scrimmage and comfortable in one-on-one scenarios.”
247 also notes that Ashford competed for the track team in high school, running the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 meters.
1st Team All-Centennial League DB@CWildSports @CCNextLevelFB pic.twitter.com/TMUI8e9TPQ
— Al Ashford III (@ashford_iii) December 11, 2020
Video highlights
As far as we can tell, all of Ashford’s Hudl videos have been removed from the site. If we find any highlights we will post them here.
Player bio (courtesy of UW Athletic Department)
“Badger fans are the greatest fans in the world and the energy in Madison is unmatched. There's no way you can pass it up.”
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 16, 2020
Let’s go @Ashford_iii, it’s showtime!
- Back-to-back state titles with Cherry Creek HS
- 59 tackles, 23 PBU, 7 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles, 2 TDs pic.twitter.com/rYZjToHc4K
- Three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals
- Career stats include 59 tackles, 23 pass breakups, seven interceptions, six forced fumbles and two TDs
- High school team went 44-1 during his career, including back-to-back state titles as a junior and senior