Eastside Football’s Top Returners For The 2021 Season

Eastside's football program and team often times flies under the radar across the entire state of Georgia. Not only do they have a decent roster at times, but they always find ways to compete against any competition in which they may step on the field against. Last season, their playoff hopes got cut short by Jones County, but likely, especially due to all of their returning starters, they will find themselves in a good place to compete with the likes of some of the best teams in the state again in the playoffs. Next season, expect the players we have listed below to not only take a leap in their overall ability, but their contributions to the overall success of the team. <strong>Dallas Johnson-</strong> <em>RB</em> While Johnson can be a bit of a north and south runner at times, his overall play making ability at the RB position is very impressive due to his vision at the line of scrimmage, burst, and overall speed. Not only does he run with a good stride, but he also runs at a good pad level, and with a good lean. This allows him to slip past defenders, and to shake a few arm tackles along the way. With this, Johnson also has okay feet, and a decent twitch to him as well. Even though Johnson can be a bit tight hipped at times, he also does a decent job of turning the corner, which can be very dangerous for opposing defenses. Johnson may be a bit thin, but he appears that he can add a bit of weight to him. Next season, if he is able to do so, expect him to be able to run through contact even better, and to be more lethal for his offense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33922" first="Jalen" last="Farmer"]-</strong> <em>OL</em> Farmer, who has become a big component to the team's running game, will likely be another key to Eastside's success next season. Not only is he a strong prospect, but he does a decent job of rolling his hips on contact, and engaging defenders well with his hands. He does not allow for his arms to get too far from his body, and he also allows for himself to finish blocks as well. While he can get caught bending at the waste at times, there is a ton of potential for farmer to be a solid D2 or D3 prospect. His feet can be a bit choppy at times, but his overall athleticism for his size is okay, and it also allows for him to be somewhat effective when he pulls. Next season will be a big show and tell of what he can become in the future if given a chance. <strong>Jean Claude Joseph III-</strong> <em>LB</em> When playing the LB position, Joseph has a very natural nose for the football, and does a decent job with his drop step as well. While he may appear to play a bit high and stiff at times, he is able to make up for this due to his speed, and sudden quickness / reactionary skills. Joseph also does a good job playing the pass as well, as he proves that he can stick to his assignment, and read the QB as well. One thing we also like about his game is his ability to be relentless in pursuit, and the fact that he takes good angles when making tackles. Additionally, Joseph also shows flashes of the ability to allow for a good pop, but going into next season, we would love to see him roll his hips more on contact, and to allow for the work in the weight room to translate to the field more consistently. <strong>Saabir Berrian-</strong> <em>WR</em> Saabir Berrian is an interesting prospect for Eastside going into next season due to his the flashes of ability that he showed in 2020. Not only does he have decent size and length, but he appears as if he can also add more weight to his frame as well, which will be very beneficial for him when coming out of press man situations. While Berrian is not the fastest player, he does show decent speed, and the ability to finish plays effectively. This often times results in big gains, or even 6 points for his team. He also has some decent short area quickness, and tracks the ball well with his eyes. While he does make various kinds of catches, we do not firmly believe that he is a natural hands catcher. Going into next season, we would love to see him work on his overall route running ability, footwork, and natural catching ability. If he can find ways to improve with each of these things, he will certainly improve a great amount as a player.