2023 Stock Risers: August Update

The 2023 recruiting class is without a doubt one of the more talented classes that have come through the state of Georgia in the past few years. Not only is the class deep with talent in each position group, but a majority of these prospects managed to get their name out there early on in their high school careers. Going into their Junior year, some of these prospects have not only seen their names added to this list for the first time, but others have found themselves a little higher on the charts. This has come with further evaluation, and comparison to other prospects. After careful consideration, prospect rankings have been adjusted to properly reflect the elite talent level, and developmental ability of certain prospects. Below, we have added a few of our favorites who saw a jump in the rankings this time around. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="34011" first="Justice" last="Haynes"] (RB)-</b> Blessed Trinity Haynes is by far one of the most dynamic players in the entire state of Georgia, regardless of position. His big play ability, as well as the way he runs the football with dominance can be seen to be elite for his age. Due to this, we have moved him up one spot to 4th overall in his class. With the ball in his hands, Haynes runs with a good burst, and his long stride helps him to pull away from defenders with ease when he is in the clear. Haynes also runs at a good pad level, with strength behind his pads, allowing him to sift through would-be tackelers, make people miss, and run others over in the process. His balance and body control is also special for his age, and the way he moves with fluidity only makes him better. Haynes is not only great at running through the tackles, but he can also carve a defense up with his twitchy running style and feet. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="34062" first="Caleb" last="LaVallee"] (LB)-</b> Whitfield Academy It has become evident that LaVallee is one of the more talented LB’s in his class, justifying his bump from 76th, to 73rd overall. His fluid movement skills, burst and speed, as well as the way he runs cleanly, and makes good plays in pursuit, the backfield, and on contact in the box, is very impressive. He takes great angles, and the way he translates his strength and rolls his hips on contact is impressive for a 2023 prospect. LaVallee also does a good job of wrapping up, and allowing his reactionary skills to do the rest of the work when playing the run. He is also decent against the pass as well, which is one of the bigger things we look at when adjusting rankings for players within his position group. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="34043" first="Daiquan" last="White"] (DB)-</b> Creekside White has seen a jump from 23rd, to 22nd overall in our recent update, and a big reason why is due to his movement skills. To start, White has a great bend, and ability to sink in his stance, while also translating his athleticism in his movements. Not only does he flip his hips well, but he also does a good job of staying in the receivers hip pocket. Paired with this, his overall footwork is solid, and the way he is able to use his speed to gain ground is also impressive. With this, White has great ball skills, and the way that he catches the ball naturally is great for his age. Next season, we expect for him to have a good year, and to continue to clean up on some of his tackling, which will make him even better of a prospect. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="34024" first="Gabriel" last="Harris"] (DL)- </b>Thomas County When watching the tape on Harris, one will notice that he takes good angles, and that he does a good job of using his strength, which helps him to overpower offensive linemen. In doing this, he rolls his hips, and uses his strength to help him gain good leverage. Harris is also very quick off of the snap of the ball and he is very consistent in using his motor to help him make tackles in pursuit. Along with this, Harris plays with good discipline, and he uses his length and frame to assist him in his effectiveness. Next season, we expect him to continue to grow into his body, and further justify the fact that we moved him from 24th overall, to 21st.