“BamBam Is Coming”: Meet Kendrick Able Jr., the Theodore High School Running Back Taking the Southeast by Storm
When you watch Kendrick Able Jr. run the football, you understand immediately why they call him BamBam. The 2027 running back prospect out of Theodore High School in Theodore, Alabama carries a physicality that is rare for any level of football. At 5 feet 10 inches and 215 pounds, with a 350 pound bench press and a 500 pound squat, Able is not built like a high school prospect. He is built like a problem. Water Cooler Talk Sports sat down exclusively with Kendrick Able Jr. to get to know the young man behind the highlight reel, and what we found was even more impressive than the numbers suggest.
The 2025 season was nothing short of dominant for Able and the Theodore Bobcats. He carried the ball 205 times for 1,553 rushing yards and punched in 16 touchdowns, ranking him at the top of AHSAA 6A Region 1 and placing him among the elite ball carriers in the entire state of Alabama. But for those who watched him play every Friday night, the statistics only tell part of the story.
The moment that put the Southeast on notice came in Week 5 against St. Paul’s Episcopal, a previously undefeated program that arrived in Theodore with serious momentum and serious expectations. Able responded with one of the most complete individual performances of the high school season, carrying the ball 22 times for 207 yards and three touchdowns as the Bobcats stormed back to win 42 to 41 in a game that came down to the final moments. It was the kind of performance that separates prospects from players, and Able delivered it without blinking.
Theodore head coach Steve Mask described his star running back with a comparison that carries real weight. He said Able reminds him of Jerome Bettis, the Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steelers fullback known for punishing defenders and running just as hard in the fourth quarter as the first. That comparison is not made lightly, and anyone who has watched Able operate understands exactly what Coach Mask means. He does not go down easy. He does not run out of gas. He simply keeps coming.
What separates Able from many prospects at his level is the complete picture he presents. He holds a 4.5 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society, demonstrating that the same discipline and focus he brings to the weight room and the football field extends into every area of his life. He serves as Treasurer of Alpha Elites and was previously Sergeant at Arms, showing a natural instinct for leadership that will translate seamlessly to a college locker room.
On the recruiting front, Able has already drawn offers from Troy, UAB, Jacksonville State and Alabama A&M, with Georgia Tech, Auburn, Dartmouth and Harvard also showing significant early interest. He has visited Auburn, and for a kid growing up in Alabama, walking into Jordan Hare Stadium carries meaning that goes beyond football. The expectation among those who have watched him closely is that his offer list will grow considerably as the 2026 season approaches and more programs get eyes on his film.
Kendrick Able Jr. is a 2027 prospect, which means the college football world still has some time to catch up to what those inside the state of Alabama already know. BamBam is coming. The only question left is where he will land when he gets there and Water Cooler Talk Sports will be following his recruitment closely.