7A Playoffs: Quarterfinals Standout Offensive Prospects

The quarterfinals featured eight great teams, loaded with talent. Outside of the Grayson (12-0) and West Forsyth (9-4) game, every game was decided by 10 points or less. Many prospects rose to the occasion and stepped up for their teams. While the games were not as high scoring as the previous round, there were still many great offensive performances. There were five players in particular that had standout performances. <hr /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33889" first="Jacurri" last="Brown"], QB, Class of 2022, Lowndes</strong> Brown followed up his great play in the 2nd round with another standout performance, his stat line for the game was 4 completion on 12 attempts for 81 passing yards and 23 carries for 118 rushing yards. While he did not score any touchdowns, he was the driving force in positioning his team to score. He led his team in all-purpose yards. A great athlete and an effective runner, this helps make up for some of his shortcomings as a passer. Still needs to improve his touch throwing the ball and overall accuracy. He did a good job selling the read-option throughout the game, really challenging Milton’s edge rushers. His play in the quarterfinals was necessary for Lowndes to beat a good Milton team. Considering his slim build, it was impressive to see him avoid taking any big shots. A very important aspect of his game, as availability is the best ability and he is a very valuable component to Lowndes’ offense. Overall, his quarterfinals performance was outstanding and he can definitely add value to a DI program. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33667" first="Cody" last="Brown"], RB, Class of 2021, Parkview</strong> Despite his team losing the game, Brown made his presence felt on the football field. He finished the game with 30 carries for 165 rushing yards and 3 receptions for 18 receiving yards. He was the definition of a workhorse back, not letting the number of hits get to him. Great at running through contact, he had multiple plays where he gained extra yards and carried Collins Hill’s defenders all game. Great job continuing to move his feet after making contact. He had an explosive run in front of Parkview’s sideline, where he separated from all but one of the second-level defenders. Collins Hill was lucky their safety was far back enough and took a good angle to catch Brown before reaching the end zone. His performance this past Friday was amazing and deserves to be highlighted. Energized player, despite 30 carries he did not show much fatigue as the game went on. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry, and it showed as helped move the chains run after run. His performance against Collins Hill showed why he received offers from SEC schools like Georgia and Auburn. Tennessee has to be very happy he committed to them. <strong>Clint Gilbert, WR, Class of 2021, Collins Hill</strong> One of the reasons that [player_tooltip player_id="33667" first="Cody" last="Brown"]’s great game was not enough to propel Parkview to victory. Gilbert put forth an outstanding performance, he had 9 receptions for 83 yards. His bread in butter is his run after catch ability. Multiple screens were called during the game and he thrived at catching the ball and following his blockers to pick up a nice chunk of yards play after play. While he does not have overwhelming speed, he is quick. He did a good job quickly turning upfield to get easy yards. Despite only being 5’8” and 150 pounds he took his fair share of hits and bounced right back up. The defense could not rattle him. His consistent performance throughout the game was crucial in keeping drives alive. He proved that he’s a reliable slot receiver. While he does not appear to have offers according to his Twitter, he could be a serviceable slot receiver at the DII or DIII level. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33748" first="Jamal" last="Haynes"], WR/RB, Class of 2021, Grayson</strong> Haynes was Jacob Garcia’s favorite target against West Forsyth, catching 7 passes for 98 yards and 1 touchdown. He was a consistent pass catcher against West Forsyth, catching everything that hit his hands. Similar to Clint Gilbert, he was used a lot in the screen game. Showed good quickness being able to turn up before defenders could force him into other defenders. Was a big reason Grayson was able to put up 33 points against a good West Forsyth team. He had a nice catch on a screen where the throw was high and he had to high point the ball. He has strong hands. Loved his fearless play as he did not shy away from contact, he held onto the ball after taking a solid hit across the middle. He definitely showed the ability to be slot receiver or scatback at the DI level. His quarterfinals performance flashed and stood out as one of the best performances from the 3rd round. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33861" first="Travis" last="Hunter"], CB/WR, Class of 2022, Collins Hill </strong> The other reason that [player_tooltip player_id="33667" first="Cody" last="Brown"]’s great game was not enough to propel Parkview to victory. Hunter was [player_tooltip player_id="33893" first="Sam" last="Horn"]’s favorite target in the 3rd round, catching 11 passes for 102 receiving yards. He had the most receiving yards in the quarterfinals. As one of the top recruits in the 2022 class, his excellent performance was not shocking. Considering that he’s primarily a cornerback that Collins Hill uses at wide receiver too, his performance on the offensive side of the ball was outstanding. He has good ball skills and strong hands. Very athletic, he caught a screen and outran 3 defenders with ease only being forced out by the safety. He had a nice 36-yard reception where he made 2 defenders miss. His dominating performance helped his quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id="33893" first="Sam" last="Horn"], have a good day in his own right. Seeing how he did not only impact the game on defense but offense as well, he was the definition of an outstanding performer. With another year left in high school to improve, Florida State has to be happy with the stud they are going get.