Evaluating the “Big 3” for Both Grayson and Collins Hill

As we approach the very anticipated 7A championship game for Georgia High School Football on December 30, 2020, the eyes of the high school football world are on both Grayson High School, and Collins Hill High School. In this game, while there are plenty of talented athletes, and prospects that will likely play college football, the "Big 3" for each team will look to show out and out shine their opponent. The "Big 3" for each team, which includes the team’s star QB, WR, and RB, is filled with star studded names, which will each be on full display for college programs at all levels to evaluate. Ahead of this match up, we wanted to take the time to evaluate these key players for each team, as to break down what we see from their ability on tape. <strong>Jake Garcia</strong> <em>(QB- 2021)-</em> Grayson (Committed to Miami) Jake Garcia, who has had quite the senior season due to having to transfer to the state of GA to play his final season of high school football, has managed to put up, and shut plenty of people up. To start, Garcia has a great height, size and frame. When sitting strong in the pocket, he delivers the football cleanly, with good touch, and often times accurately to his receivers. Along with this, he also has a smooth and fast release, which, when paired with receivers that beat the defense quickly, results in plenty of quick points. To add to this, while he can be seen to be slightly off target at times, he has shown that he can drive the football and shift his weight effectively into tight window throws. This will almost certainly assist him at the next level, as he will go on to play for Miami in the future. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33678" first="Phil" last="Mafah"]</strong> <em>(RB- 2021)-</em> Grayson (Committed to Clemson) Anyone who has watched any Clemson RB over the past few years can attest that [player_tooltip player_id="33678" first="Phil" last="Mafah"] certainly fits the mold. He has the bigger, and bulkier frame as a RB that Clemson typically desires, and with this, he can read the line, hit the hole, adjust on the fly, and get gone. His quick feet, and leveled running style allows him to not only shed tackles, but remain balanced during all of his runs. Mafah also has great twitch to him, as his stick move proves efficient as he constantly puts defenders on the ground with his shiftiness. While he may not be the fastest back, he has a great burst to him, and strngth in his legs that allows him to turn the corner and finish plays. Look for him to find his way into the Tigers lineup within the next few years. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33748" first="Jamal" last="Haynes"]</strong> <em>(WR/RB- 2021)-</em> Grayson (Committed to Georgia Tech) [player_tooltip player_id="33748" first="Jamal" last="Haynes"], who has been a Swiss Army Knife for Grayson will play a key part in the match up against Collins Hill. At WR, when evaluating his tape, there are plenty of traits that jump off of the screen. To start, he has great long speed, burst, and vision. He runs crisp routes as well, and makes solid catches all over the field, regardless of his physical positioning. Haynes has also shown that he can gain separation from defenders very well, and is advanced at stacking them in his route running. With this, he shows limited false steps. With the ball in his hands, he has great twitch and shiftiness, which always results in big plays, and touchdowns. Despite his smaller size and frame, his intangibles are great for a player of his ability and will look to translate well into the next level of play. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33893" first="Sam" last="Horn"]</strong> <em>(QB- 2022)-</em> Collins Hill As a young, 2022 prospect, [player_tooltip player_id="33893" first="Sam" last="Horn"] has performed at an extremely high level, guiding his team to a chance of winning the state championship. Not only does Horn show that his arm has the talent, and strength to push good, clean throws down the field, but he has shown that he has the intangibles to make collegiate level throws already as well. His intermediate and deep passes are at an elite level with accuracy and timing, and his pocket presence is also very polished. He displays clean feet and vision, and he transitions his weight well into his passes, rather than forcing them in unpolished ways. Along with this, he squares his shoulders very well, which allows for less inaccuracy in his throws due to limited rise and fall in his mechanics. Horn can also make great touch passes down the field as well, which has been huge for his team up to this point. One thing we will note to conclude, is that Horn also shows toughness. He can not only take the ball himself when needed, but he can hang in the pocket selflessly, and deliver great, and timely passes time and time again. This can ultimately be a key factor leading into this state championship game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33861" first="Travis" last="Hunter"]</strong> <em>(WR/DB-</em> 2022)- Collins Hill (Committed to Florida State) [player_tooltip player_id="33861" first="Travis" last="Hunter"], who is one of the most talented prospects throughout the entire state, regardless of class, has had a huge 2020 season, and will play a big part in this upcoming state championship game due to his big play ability on both sides of the football. His balance, twitch, quickness, and footwork allows him to be very effective as a WR, and proves to make it easy for him to gain separation from defenders, thus allowing him to haul in plenty of passes for big gains, and even bigger plays. Hunter catches the ball cleanly with his hands, and has shown that he can track it well when it is in the air. Hunter also shows that he limits false movement as a receiver, and can make tough catches, even with defenders draped on him. If Collins Hill is looking to compete well in this game, look for him to be a big part of the team’s game plan. <strong>Clint Gilbert</strong><em> (RB- 2021)-</em> Collins Hill While Clint Gilbert is the least known prospect on this list, we firmly believe he has played a big part in Collins Hill’s success this season. He may come across as a bit of a raw prospect, but his big play ability this season has been big for his team. When the football is in his hands, he finds ways to make defenders miss, and has been a constant for his team. He has played a key part in the offense’s success due to his shiftiness and quick feet. Paired with this, he catches the ball well, which allows for match-up problems for opposing teams. Along with this, due to the fact that he is a bit smaller, and almost underdeveloped frame wise, we feel he can play at a smaller program and make a difference if given the chance.