7A Playoffs: Quarterfinals Standout Defensive Prospects

The quarterfinals brought some great games between some of the best teams in Georgia. Collins Hill (11-2) beat Parkview (8-4) by a touchdown in a hard-fought defensive game. Great defensive play in the quarterfinals led to lower scoring games. Many prospects stood out across all the games. Defensive play in the quarterfinals was excellent and multiple players deserve to have their performances highlighted. <hr /> Jayvian Allen, SS, Class of 2021, Grayson Allen balled out for a defense that held a good West Forsyth team scoreless. He had 10 solo tackles, 13 total tackles, 1 pass deflection, and 3 forced fumbles. He gave West Forsyth problems all game long. Showed a high football IQ by going for the ball when tackling and as a result forced 3 fumbles. One which his team recovered. Allen did a good job covering his zone. His good coverage helped Grayson hold West Forsyth’s quarterback, Keegan Stover, to a completion percentage of 41.7% for only 67 passing yards. His good zone coverage was partly a result of him having solid change of direction skills. He has a nice burst, which helped him meet running backs before they could break off a long run. Loved seeing that he’s willing to help in the run support. In the quarterfinals, Allen was simply outstanding. While he does not appear to have any offers currently, he would definitely add value to a DII or NAIA program. Logan Birdsong, LB, Class of 2021, Collins Hill Birdsong was another standout performer from the quarterfinals. His play flashed in a game that featured many great defensive performances. He finished the game with 10 solo tackles, 20 total tackles, and 1 pass deflection. He played physical, fast, and smart. Birdsong made plays all over the field, it seemed like wherever the ball was, he was soon to follow. Did a great job engaging ball carriers and bringing them down. He had the challenge of facing star running back, [player_tooltip player_id="33667" first="Cody" last="Brown"]. While Brown gained a lot of yards, Birdsong played his part on a defense that kept him scoreless. Showed good instincts putting his hands up to block a pass. Solid football IQ, took a lot of good angles to keep ball carriers from breaking off a long play. I could see him having success at the DII level. [player_tooltip player_id="33861" first="Travis" last="Hunter"], CB/WR, Class of 2022, Collins Hill Hunter also appears in our Quarterfinals Standout Offensive Prospects article, which should help paint a picture of how good he was against Parkview. His stat line included 5 total tackles, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery. He showed good awareness on his interception, the ball sailed on the quarterback and Hunter reacted quick enough to catch the ball and turn upfield for a pick six. He was great in coverage and a big reason Parkview struggled in the passing game. Parkview’s quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id="34066" first="Colin" last="Houck"], only completed 11 passes on 21 attempts and only 1 passing touchdown. He’s a smooth, fluid runner in coverage and plays with high instinct. This helps him react quickly and efficiently in coverage. Hunter covered large zones and took away large portions of the field. His stamina was impressive as he balled out on both sides of the ball. Watching him play in the quarterfinals was amazing, he was simply elite. Hunter truly had the definition of a standout performance. I am excited to see what he does this Friday against Lowndes, I expect him to put forth another great performance. Florida State is going to be getting a great prospect in 2022. James Smith, DE, Class of 2021, Collins Hill The last standout defensive prospect from Collins Hill was Smith and boy did his play flash. He finished the game with 15 solo/total tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, and 2 quarterback hurries. He’s a strong defensive end that bull rushed into the backfield on multiple occasions. He gave Parkview’s offensive line fits. His dominant performance helped limit Parkview’s running backs outside of [player_tooltip player_id="33667" first="Cody" last="Brown"]. Smith displayed great instincts on the defensive line, quickly recognizing where the ball carrier was and making a play on it. It’s not too surprising that all his tackles were solo as he is a very sound tackler. Did a great job wrapping up ball carriers and driving his feet to quickly bring them down. It also helps that he is very strong and displayed this in the quarterfinals as he was able to impose his will on linemen and ball carriers. He played a vital role in Collins Hill’s impressive defensive showing. Smith was outstanding in the quarterfinals. [player_tooltip player_id="33755" first="Jalen" last="Garner"], OLB, Class of 2021, Norcross Garner’s performance this past Friday stood out as one of the best defensive performances from the quarterfinals. He had a stat line of 6 solo tackles, 11 total tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 quarterback hurry, and 2 forced fumbles. He led his team in total tackles. He played fast and furious, meeting ball carriers at the line of scrimmage. Has great pursuit skills. Excelled at chasing down ball carriers. Garner put forth a tremendous performance. Strong on contact as he stood up ball carriers and rarely was driven back for extra yards. He led the way for a defense that held a great Colquitt County team to 7 points. He helped his team tremendously by forcing turnovers. Norcross held Colquitt to 71 yards on offense in the first half and Garner played a big role in that. He also displayed good coverage skills and technique. Did a good job guarding the middle of the field and intermediate routes. His quarterfinals performance had to make Houston happy he is committed to them.