Buford Football’s Top Returners For The 2021 Season

Buford’s football team, and senior class, rode off into the sunset with their 34-31 win in overtime against Lee County in the State Championship game. While there were plenty of seniors on the roster that made the championship win, and successful season possible, there were a fair share of young, talented prospects that contributed as well. Despite the fact that senior players such as [player_tooltip player_id="33736" first="Gabe" last="Ervin"] and [player_tooltip player_id="33778" first="Malik" last="Williams"] will not be returning next year, the team’s future is definitely bright, as there are key players that you can look forward to seeing suit up for the team again next season. Below, we have listed a few that will continue to shine for the team in the future. <strong>Victor Venn-</strong> (2022) <em>RB</em> Venn, who made his fair share of noise during the state championship game, will be returning next season, and will be as effective as ever. Not only do we expect his offers to continue to pick up even more than they already have, but we expect him to further develop into the great back that he already is. Venn, who has a bit of a smaller frame, does not allow this to stop him. His elusive feet, quickness, burst, and vision allow him to be dangerous with the football in his hands, and often times results in his team scoring 6 points. Along with this, he also shows the ability to bounce runs outside of the tackles, and cut up the field for big gains. When he has the football in his hands, he is almost unstoppable, as he runs with a great pad level as well, making it hard for defenders to stop him, if they’re even able to catch him. Look for him to be a force for Buford next season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33896" first="Jake" last="Pope"]-</strong> (2022) S/WR [player_tooltip player_id="33896" first="Jake" last="Pope"] has proven to be an effective player for Buford, as he finds himself with playing time on both sides of the ball. While he can be seen to have a positive impact for his team as a WR because of the way he tracks the ball, and can get open with his speed, we like him more as a Safety. While he can be a bit raw in his pedal at times, he has a great ability to change direction on the dime, accelerate, and get to the ball carrier. With this, he also displays an ability to play well in coverage, while being able to make big plays on the ball. Paired with this, Pope also wraps up well on defenders, and is not afraid of contact. Going into his Senior year, look for him to continue to put on size, and receive more attention from Power 5 schools. <strong>Ryland Gandy-</strong> (2022) <em>CB</em> As a DB, Gandy already has decent size and length for a 2022 prospect. When playing the CB position, his ability also stands out. Not only does Gandy play well within the hip pocket of the WR, but he is good at reading the ball when it is in the air, causing him to be able to either make plays on the ball, or put himself in position to make stops. With this, Gandy also has great footwork, and shows that he can break well on the football. While we are not overly excited about his sink and bend, we do feel that he moves fluid enough to play DB at the next level, and that he will most likely have another strong season on defense next season. Going into his senior season, look for him to be able to continue to stack on to the success he had at CB, and to be able to develop even more in his movement skills. <strong>Ashton Daniels-</strong> (2022) <em>QB</em> Daniels had a very impressive Junior season to say the least, and he showed the ability to make consistently high level throws in big time games, while also being able to handle the pressure of high levels of competition. That in itself is exciting to think about, especially following his team’s success with their state championship win this season. While he has not received that much attention recruiting wise, we do feel that he is capable of leading his team to another championship, especially with Venn in the backfield. As a QB prospect, Daniels has a bit choppy footwork, and sometimes his throws can be delivered a bit low. Regardless of this, he manages to get the ball to his receivers in a timely manner. He can be seen to make both deep, and intermediate throws, and he also has shown that he can square his shoulders at times too. Along with this, Daniels has also shown that he can put velocity on the football when needed, and that he can make some throws outside of the pocket. As we approach this upcoming season, we want to see Daniels progress as a passer, but we are also very confident that his return to the team will have a positive impact in their overall success in the 2021 season.