Waters’ meteoric rise is no fluke. His athleticism, instincts and length translates into being an impact player. He was the City Section Open Division player of the year in 2022.

As a junior, he caught 60 passes for 1,077 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was used as a Wildcat quarterback, rushing for 491 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had 38 solo tackles and four interceptions.

At 6 feet 2 and 180 pounds, Waters has a 4.1 grade-point average and made official recruiting visits to UCLA, Washington, Stanford, Northwestern and Utah.

He took over for receiver-defensive end Arlis Boardingham, who is now at Florida, to lead Birmingham past Garfield in the City Section Open Division championship game. He figures to play cornerback in college and his continued progress at the position makes him an intriguing prospect.