Small-Town South Georgia WRs to Know

It’s always tough to find athletes in small towns, but the talent is there across small towns all over the peach state. There are some incredible small-town programs who have talent, but it was tough for their players to get exposure during the Covid-19 pandemic. Here are a few small-town receivers in South Georgia who had a big year in 2020. &nbsp; <strong>Tayshaun Shipp - Worth County </strong> The small-town receiver from Sylvester was one of the most productive in the state last year, but for some reason, his recruitment just never took off. He’s not the biggest guy at 5-foo-8 170-pounds, and that’s likely the biggest reason why he never signed somewhere. He was a big-time playmaker last fall where he caught 66 passes for 1,109 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has great speed and tough for most defensive backs in the area to handle. He can score from any point on the field and took one back from 99 yards last year. He was the Region 1-AA athlete of the year and an All-State WR. He also had an interception and 28 tackles playing DB. The senior capped off a big high school career with an outstanding senior season. &nbsp; <strong>Xavier Brantley - Montgomery County</strong> One of the more under the radar players in South Georgia, Brantley is a 2022 playmaker who tallied over 600 yards receiving and scored 12 total TDs last season. He’s an unselfish player that is willing to block, be a decoy, whatever it takes for the offense to be successful. He showed great hands, a high work ethic, and a knack for making a play in the red-zone. He found the end-zone early and often last year due to his frame and athletic ability. He’s got a great vertical and knows how to high point the football and make a tough catch over a defender. He was often the best player on the field and was a go-to option all season. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33986" first="Braxton" last="Johnson"] - Bainbridge</strong> Another South Georgia receiver who had a big year was Johnson. He knows how to go against elite defensive backs as he went up against one of the nation’s best every day in practice in 5-star 2022 ATH [player_tooltip player_id="33865" first="Deyon" last="Bouie"]. Johnson made it look easy against defensive backs week in and week out, catching 52 passes for 898 yards and 14 TDs. Bouie was injured all year, and as the go-to guy in 2019, Johnson had to step up in a big way in 2020. That’s exactly what he did, becoming one of the biggest playmakers in all of South Georgia. The quick, shifty junior has great speed and can turn on another gear once he gets some space. He’s a threat to score every time he touches the ball and could be on the verge of a breakout senior season this fall.