2021 LB Spotlight: Underrated Commits

In our series of underrated commits throughout Georgia’s 2021 class, we have highlighted some of the most talented defensive players who have not received the attention that they deserve. Going into their senior year, many 2021 prospects are hoping for a breakout season, thus proving that they are worth the commitment at their school of choice, or even validating their ability to play at an even higher level of play than they are expected to. This time, we would like to specifically note the high level of potential within Georgia’s 2021 LB class. Within this class, there is a great depth of quality players who would be able to start in college. Because of this, some of these athletes have had all of the offers imaginable, while others have yet to be given the attention they could possibly gain else where. Good news for them, PrepRedzone doesn’t shy away from giving them their props.   [player_tooltip player_id="33735" first="West" last="Weeks"] (LB)- 6’2 195 Oconee County- Committed to the University of Virginia While some may look at West Week’s offers and commitment and say that he is properly rated, we would argue that his pure ability is still worth more attention. While he received offers from a few big name schools, most of the schools had a large amount of LB’s already on their roster, which would make it a difficult decision for Weeks to make about the program in which he felt he would have a potential to play. There is a lot to like about Weeks’ ability to play LB. First off, Weeks plays special teams, and WR- making him a smooth athlete that is able to translate these movement skills to the defensive side of the football. His sink and bend within his stance, as well as his ability to move quickly makes him an attractive LB prospect going into the next level. While he is also light on his feet, Weeks needs to work on the consistency in his drop step as well as the height he can play at as well. As he continues to work on these things, as well as his ability to continue to track down ball carriers in pursuit, and move around efficiently when defending the pass, he will gain more attention, and even more love from his future coaches at UVA who believed in his ability to translate to the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id="33752" first="Treyvian" last="Staley"] (LB)- 6’2 200 Brookwood- Committed to Kansas [player_tooltip player_id="33752" first="Treyvian" last="Staley"] currently has 5 offers- with the biggest offer coming from Kansas, in which he is committed to. Underrated and underappreciated is an understatement. There is a great deal of upside to Staley’s game, as he already has a long, and developmental frame that can pack on healthy weight at the next level. When watching his tape, his ability to play both the edge, and OLB position is something that automatically makes you project what he will play at the next level. While he may not be receiving some of the attention he deserves due to his tendency to be stiff at times, his ability to get to ball carriers and make a push off of the ball are things that are interesting to watch. We feel that Staley’s body type and flashes of athleticism can project into a DROP position type, in which he would be playing defensive end, with packages in which he would have shallow pass responsibilities in coverage. We see these traits to be something that is extremely underrated in an era of football that is always changing.   [player_tooltip player_id="33760" first="Preston" last="Lavant"] (LB)- 6’2 200 Crisp County- Committed to Pittsburgh At Crisp County, [player_tooltip player_id="33760" first="Preston" last="Lavant"] plays alongside [player_tooltip player_id="33745" first="Christopher" last="Paul"], who has gained a great deal of attention, and is committed to Arkansas. Like Paul, Lavant has the ability to play LB at the next level, but has been a bit overshadowed. Due to this, Lavant has gained a little bit of attention, and has been given offers to play football from 11 different programs. Although, just like [player_tooltip player_id="33735" first="West" last="Weeks"], most of these programs have been from schools who have a large amount of LB’s already on the roster, making it even more difficult to create an opportunity for himself to play at these programs. Despite this, Lavant has found himself committed to the University of Pittsburgh. While at Pittsburgh, the coaching staff will love Lavant’s hustle and ability to get to the ball carrier in pursuit, as well as the ability to be explosive off the snap, and on contact. His prototypical LB body will also make it easier for him to transition into the next level, allowing him to utilize his wide lower body frame to his advantage. As Lavant continues to develop going into his senior season, he can expect to see more schools, and fans take notice of him. Regardless, if he continues to work on what he does best, as well as his inconsistencies, he can begin to prove the doubters wrong.