Breakdown of the top prospect in each class

<span style="font-size: 10pt;">The three top ranked prospects in the state of Georgia could be considered elite talents around the nation. Here is a breakdown of what makes the top players in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 recruiting classes.</span> <strong>2021</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33651" first="Smael" last="Mondon"], Linebacker, 6’3” 220 pounds, Paulding High School</strong> Mondon is a dynamic athlete. He’s got elite size. He stands 6 foot 3 inches tall and weighed 220 pounds as a junior in high school. As he ages, he will likely add a few pounds in bulk. The size doesn’t match the movements you see on film from Mondon. With the ball in his hands as a running back he appears to be the best athlete on the field. He carries the football in a physical manner and can outrun most defenders in the open field. His upside appears to be on the defensive side of the football. Mondon moves effortlessly from side to side. He’s smooth in weaving in and out of blocks. Mondon rarely wastes a step and appears to have great football instincts and study habits of the offense. Multiple times on his film he seems to recognize the formation and begins reading his keys to make the play before the ball has even snapped. He’s a skilled blitzer because of this. There are plays where Mondon is in the hole before the lineman can even pop out of his stance to attempt a block. Mondon shows the ability to not be outflanked by an offense. His sudden and calculated movement in space allows him to be square to the line of scrimmage in order to move side to side to make plays anywhere. Mondon also has the speed to run plays down from behind. He has enough size and physical playing strength to take on blocks, disengage and find the football. He’s the prototypical inside backer in today’s world of spread football. Mondon could even play on the edges in a role similar to Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons. With the raw physical tools Mondon provides potential for versatility that makes him a special prospect. He could be well on his way to being an immediate starter at the college level if he continues to develop physically over the next year. <strong>2022</strong> <strong>Tyre West, Defensive End, 6’4”, 260 pounds, Tift County High School</strong> West checks all the boxes of a 4-3 or 3-4 defensive end. He’s stoutly built, but also comes with the length desired to keep offensive tackles from his interior. Because West is already 260 pounds, he has the potential to grow into an interior player at the next level. West carries the 260 pounds like he’s much lighter. His first step is explosive in the run game and he already has a game plan in setting up the blocker in pass rushing situations. West plays nasty and he plays until the echo of the whistle. Effort isn’t a problem. West is physical. When he gets a shot on the ball carrier, he takes it. When a play is running away from him, West doesn’t stop moving. There are multiple big hits on runners after a ball carrier breaks a few tackles simply because West doesn’t take plays off when he’s not on the front side of the play. With another two years of strength and growth, there’s no telling where West’s ceiling will be. His experience on the edge will make him attractive to many programs. He’ll be scheme versatile moving forward. His explosiveness makes him a prototypical end prospect and a potentially special interior defensive lineman. <strong>2023</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="34007" first="Avieon" last="Terrell"], cornerback, 5’10”, 155 pounds, Westlake High School</strong> The Terrell name sounds familiar around the state of Georgia these days. A.J. Terrell was the first-round selection of the Atlanta Falcons in the 2020 NFL Draft in April after three years as a starter for the Clemson Tigers. His younger brother, [player_tooltip player_id="34007" first="Avieon" last="Terrell"] is beginning to establish himself as a talented player in his own right. The younger Terrell started with Westlake High School as a freshman in 2019. Avieon appears to be a different type of player than his elder brother at least to this point. Where his older brother possesses a long lanky frame, Avieon made his bones with his speed and technique. Avieon isn’t small. He’s already 5 foot 10 inches tall as a freshman. He will continue to grow and probably will be similar in build to his brother. Today, Avieon’s recovery ability is elite. He has the ability to adjust to the ball and not panic while it’s in the air. He’s possesses quick and twitchy traits that make him dangerous if he gets the football in his hands. The next three years will likely see him get bigger, stronger and more aggressive. If that happens Avieon’s raw ability could rival that of any corner in his class. Christopher Norcross <strong>2021</strong> <p dir="ltr"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33651" first="Smael" last="Mondon"], Linebacker, 6’3” 220 pounds, Paulding High School</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">There are many reasons why [player_tooltip player_id="33651" first="Smael" last="Mondon"] was very easy to want to list number one in the state of Georgia for the class of 2021. Not only is he one of the best LB’s in the nation for his class, but his film jumps off of the screen with play making ability and potential. Mondon has been awarded with numerous Power 5 offers because he will easily translate to the Power 5 level of competition. Despite this, it is essential that he chooses where he will play carefully due to his very diverse skill set. While Mondon is being recruited to play LB at the next level, he also plays RB due to his ability to move fluidly, and athletically. This allows for great runs as a RB, and great burst and change of direction as a LB. He is a very instinctive player who moves extremely well laterally, thus making him very effective in pursuit. Combined with this, his speed and twitch allows him to adjust to ball carriers and to take good tackling angles. Even though Mondon projects well into the next level, he plays a bit high at times, and things he should look to improve upon include his consistency in his drop step as a LB. Consistency in this, as well as his stance can assist in his transition to college football.</p> &nbsp; <p dir="ltr"><strong>2022</strong> <strong>Tyre West, Defensive End, 6’4”, 260 pounds, Tift County High School</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">What’s not to like about Tyre West’s film? West was a no brainer for our number one slot in the 2022 class because he is dominant in every single way possible. As a young defensive linemen, West already has the ability to fluidly explode off of the football when the ball is snapped. He already has a solid lower body build, and he has the ideal frame and length that college coaches are looking for. Even better, West has the power, strength, and pop upon contact that makes this even more effective. As a 2022, West utilizes great leverage off of the line, and is able to involve his hands to assist in his pass rushing ability. This allows him to get to the backfield quickly. Another strength to West’s game is his ability to drop his hips and sink, thus allowing him to change direction quickly and effectively. As a result, West’s efficiency in moving sideline to sideline can be seen to be a major factor in his productivity. West will continue to develop in his coming years in high school, and will project at a high rate going into the next leel as he evaluates all of his options.</p> <strong>2023</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="34007" first="Avieon" last="Terrell"], cornerback, 5’10”, 155 pounds, Westlake High School</strong> <p dir="ltr">[player_tooltip player_id="34007" first="Avieon" last="Terrell"] already stands out in comparison to the other Georgia players within the 2023 class. He can be seen to be one of the most fluid, and athletic corners you will see for his age. As a 2023, Terrell shows flashes of his early understanding and grasp of proper technique as a CB. He has great feet, and he can flip his hips extremely well and quickly. His ability to change direction and apply his burst when in various bodily positions. Terrell is also very fast which allows him to stay in the receivers hip pocket, and to be effective in both man and zone coverage. His instinctive ability to play football is huge for him as it allows him to constantly be around the ball. With this, Terrell often times makes plays with his ability to track the ball and make interceptions, or to break up passes. When it comes to tackling, Terrell has also shown the ability to be aggressive and to take good angles. As he continues to grow and develop, working on his backpedalling, shuffling, and tackling will help him to improve even more, making him even more attractive to Power 5 football programs.</p>