MONTGOMERY – After a year of waiting behind his teammate, Trent Seaborn can now claim the title of the top skill player in Alabama's largest classification.
The Alabama Sportswriters Association named the Thompson junior quarterback and Alabama commit as the Class 7A Back of the Year at its annual football awards banquet on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel.
"It's a blessing," Seaborn said. "This is a very big award. But, I don't take it as an individual award. I take it as a team award. The reason why I won this is because my teammates and my coaches, they're the ones that help me every year accomplish all these yards, touchdowns, and eventually winning state championships, because winning state is always our biggest goal, and we were able to accomplish that again this year. So, I'm super proud of the guys around me, and they're the reason why I'm holding this trophy."
This is the second-straight year that Seaborn was named a finalist for the award. After losing to Thompson safety Anquon Fegans a year ago, Seaborn secured the honor for the 2025 season.
He earned the award over Central-Phenix City running back Jayshaun Woodhouse and Carver-Montgomery receiver Zion Crumpton.
Seaborn's win makes him the second-straight Thompson player to earn 7A Back of the Year. He is the seventh winner in program history, joining two-time winner Taulia Tagovailoa, Sawyer Pate, Conner Harrell, Ryan Peppins, who also won Mr. Football, and Fegans.
Seaborn finished the 2025 season with 3,689 passing yards and 35 touchdowns against seven interceptions and added five rushing touchdowns. He averaged 263.5 passing yards per game across the Warriors' 14 contests and finished the year with a 72 percent completion rate.
The award adds to Seaborn's local, statewide and nationwide recognition after leading the Warriors to their sixth state championship in the past seven years.
Seaborn earned his third-straight All-American selection from MaxPreps, making the Junior All-American First Team in 2025 after earning a Sophomore All-American First Team selection in 2024 and both Freshman All-American First Team and Freshman of the Year honors in 2023.
He was also selected to the All-State Team for the third-straight season and made his second-straight appearance on the All-State First Team for Class 7A.
That was all on top of Seaborn's first Shelby County Player of the Year win which coincided with his third-straight appearance on the All-County Team and second First Team selection in the past three seasons.
The honor caps off a banner year that saw him win his third state championship in his four postseasons as a starter and commit to Alabama after he was offered by both former coach Nick Saban and current coach Kalen DeBoer.
Seaborn reflected on a conversation he had with his father Jason after the 2024 season about taking the next step toward being elite. While some of it revolved around statistics, Seaborn's biggest priority was playing the best against the best competition, and he decided to put in the work with his teammates to leave no doubt that they were the best.
"It's not stats that I care about. It's just playing against great competition and playing well," Seaborn said. "Just playing good against good competition. That's what I was able to accomplish with my guys this year. I made it a priority to really develop chemistry with my receivers and my running backs. we're in the indoor at our facility early in the morning to late at night, every day for 365 days a year. It's just a sacrifice we were all willing to make. And those guys are, like I said, the reason why I'm holding this trophy, the reason why we won state again. And I just can't thank them enough."
Seaborn was one of three players from Shelby County to earn a nomination for Back of the Year or Lineman of the Year.
His Thompson teammate, junior defensive end Cam Pritchett, was up for 7A Lineman of the Year but lost to Central-Phenix City edge rusher and Jacksonville State signee Tristan Lyles. Spain Park quarterback Brock Bradley was nominated for 6A Back of the Year but lost to Clay-Chalkville quarterback and Alabama State signee Aaron Frye, who won the state championship.
The top award of the day went to Jackson running back EJ Crowell, who won Mr. Football in addition to Class 4A Back of the Year. The Alabama signee became the first winner in Jackson program history.
To see the full list of ASWA Back of the Year and Lineman of the Year winners for 2025, read more below:
MR. FOOTBALL
EJ Crowell, Jackson
BACKS OF THE YEAR
7A: Trent Seaborn, Thompson
6A: Aaron Frye, Clay-Chalkville
5A: Sammy Dunn, Vigor
4A: EJ Crowell, Jackson
3A: Jaxon Penn, Mars Hill Bible
2A: Kylen Johnson, Coosa Christian
1A: Jaquez Wilkes, Wadley
AISA: Ahmod Billins, Abbeville Christian
LINEMEN OF THE YEAR
7A: Tristan Lyles, Central-Phenix City
6A: Anthony Jones Jr., St. Paul's
5A: Jabarrius Garror, Vigor
4A: Laquon Whisenhunt, Jackson
3A: Shadarius Toodle, Cottage Hill
2A: Zayden Franklin, Coosa Christian
1A: Eli Hubbert, Maplesville
AISA: Eli Whorton, Chambers Academy
