Alabama high school football MVP Watch: Elba's Alvin Henderson makes a strong case

The nation's leading rusher is the current favorite as the state's Most Valuable Player

Elba (Alabama) running back Alvin Henderson, an Auburn Tigers commit, rushed for 435 yards and 10 touchdowns, against McKenzie. / On3.com

It's hard to ignore the incredible season that Elba's Alvin Henderson is having right now, but who are the others in competition for Alabama's Most Valuable Player of 2024?

The Yellowhammer State features some of the top signal callers in the country, especially when you factor in the state title championship teams featuring top flight passers into the equation.

With all that in mind, here are the five front-runners, in descending order, through the first eight weeks:

5. Mason Mims, QB, Oxford

Leading an undefeated Yellow Jackets team, which sits at 7-0, the Louisville commitment has had his best season as a high school quarterback.

Mims through seven games has completed 71 percent of his passes (137-of-191) for 1,952 yards, 18 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

The Cardinals quarterback’s best game was back on Sep. 20 in a 29-28 victory over Mountain Brook, with Mims completing 30-of-43 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns.

Don’t worry, another Mims is on the way: Maddox Mims will be next in line after his older brother graduates.

4. Landon Duckworth, QB, Jackson

The 4-star 2026 quarterback is getting plenty of interest from Oregon and UCF because of his play on the field this season.

Duckworth through eight games has been a strong dual-threat signal caller for the Aggies this season. The junior sensation has completed 92-of-147 passes for 1,748 yards, 18 touchdowns and just six picks.

The Jackson quarterback has also rushed for 329 yards and scored five touchdowns this fall.

When looking at Duckworth’s best game this season, you’d have to say it was Jackson’s 49-7 rout of Mobile Christian. Duckworth completed 24-of-31 (77 percent) for 535 yards and five touchdowns.

3. Andrew Alford, QB, Phenix City Central

Now we know Alford having the kind of weapons he has around him might be an edge, but the senior has played at a very high level of efficiency under center.

This season for Phenix City Central, Alford has completed 73-of-111 (66 percent) passes for 1,187 yards, 16 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Alford’s best game came on Sep. 13th when the quarterback completed 14-of-21 passes for 363 yards, four touchdowns in a 42-35 win over Dothan.

Somehow Alford only has yielded an offer from Georgia Southern, but the passer should be on the radar of more colleges.

2. Jackson Kilgore, QB, Auburn

There’s not a bunch of fanfare when it comes to Kilgore, but taking a deeper look at the numbers, there should be.

His candidacy to be the state’s top player comes with his steady hand at the quarterback position and Kilgore displayed that against the previous No. 1 team.

The 6-foot, 185-pound quarterback was stellar in the team’s 38-33 win over Phenix City Central a couple weeks ago. Kilgore completed 13-of-19 passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Red Devils.

On the season, Kilgore has completed 102-of-136 passes for 1,396 yards, 16 touchdowns and just one interception.

1. Alvin Henderson, RB, Elba

We’d say we’re surprised with the kind of numbers that Henderson is putting up this season, but that would be ignoring what he did last year and the year before.

The Auburn commitment has been one of the top running backs in the country when it comes to yardage and touchdowns after going for 3,523 yards and 61 touchdowns a year ago.

This season, Henderson has carried the rock 163 times for an astounding 2,189 yards and 38 touchdowns. That’s good for an average of 13.4 yards per carry and 273 yards per game. Not too shabby.

Here’s what 247Sports has to say about Henderson:

“Verified at 5-foot-9 plus and 190-pounds in February of 2024, Henderson possesses the growth potential to add some additional weight to an already collegiate ready frame. A sudden runner that demonstrates the ability to play in both a power or zone scheme, the Alabama native exhibits excellent short area burst and separation quickness at the second level to create space between defenders. Plays with good play strength and physicality, plus shows the ability to consistently play through contact. Has a knack for finding hidden yardage between the tackles, utilizing patience and contact balance but also possesses the elusiveness and long speed to create explosive plays in the open field. An extremely productive rusher with an uncanny combination of vision, short area quickness, and burst between the tackles, Henderson projects as a high level multi-year starter at a Power Four program with the ability to contribute sooner rather than later in an early down role.”

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveal