Appling County’s Top Returners For The 2021 Season

Going into the 2021 season, expect the Appling County Pirates to be an underrated competitor in their region, as well as their classification of play. To start, we believe this due to the 9-2 record they achieved last season. On the way to obtaining this record, the Pirates went on a 7 game winning streak to start the season, followed by a loss in their last regular season game against Pierce County. In this game, they fell 28-21, and would not suffer another loss until the 3rd round playoffs where they met Greater Atlanta Christian, and lost to them in a game that saw the final score as 31-13. Next season, due to their success in 2020, we expect them to be a competitor once more, shocking plenty of Georgia High School Football fans. Below, we have listed a few players that will help them be able to do so. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="95151" first="Darris" last="Smith"]- </b><i>DE</i> If the fact that he is committed to UGA doesn’t speak volumes in itself, the fact that he can line up and do everything you would want to see a player of his caliber do certainly will. When evaluating his ability, you will see that he not only gets off the ball quickly with good feet and explosiveness, but he also uses his hands and arms to gain separation, and make plays. In addition to this, he wraps up well on contact, and his physicality is dominating. He brings players down with ease, regardless of where they are on the field. With this, he also is great at rushing the passer, using his bend to help him be successful in this regard. Smith is also good at getting sideline to sideline as well, making it hard for opposing teams to run on the Pirate’s defense. Next season, look for him to be as dominant as always. <b>Jaylen Johnson- </b><i>RB</i> Entering into next season, Johnson already has accumulated a few Power 5 offers, and by the end of the season, we would be surprised if he does not rack up more. This comes as no shocker due to the way he is able to run with good burst, speed, and twitch. In doing so, he puts defenders on skates, and is able to use his vision to help him take the proper running lanes to make big plays. Johnson is a very diverse back due to his footwork, and the way he gets in and out of his cuts with ease. With all of this, we also love the pad level he runs at, and how he is able to make plays through the tackles as effectively as he is able to when bouncing outside, or catching the ball out of the backfield. As the season approaches, expect him to have a big year, and to show up on the radar of more Power 5 Programs. <b>Jamori Wright- </b><i>CB</i> When watching Wright’s highlights from last season, we are a bit shocked that he has not been given as much attention as he deserves. To start, he has good ball skills, and his length and frame helps him a great deal in coverage. He proves to be okay out of his breaks but plays a little stiff at times. Regardless, in his stance, he has an okay bend, and even though he false steps at times, he still finds ways to finish plays. Whether it is a turnover, or if he has to take angles to make tackles, he always finds ways to be a key factor for his team. Weight also plays with good burst when shooting off the edge, and he has the speed to keep up with receivers, which certainly helps in coverage. At times, he bullies opposing players with his physicality, which is only going to improve over time. When doing so, he is not afraid to stick his nose into tackles. During the 2021 season we expect him to blow up, as we think he is bound to get more exposure this upcoming season as he steps up for his team <b>Jarvis Mims- </b><i>RB</i> Mims is a very twitchy runner, and his feet allow him to be in place to make good cuts, and to put defenders in a mix. He does a good job of fighting for extra yards, and even though he runs a bit higher, he does a decent job of delivering power behind his pads when making contact. This running style makes him a great compliment to Johnson, as both of them are very similar in the way they tote the rock. Mims also has some burst to his running style, but we would like to see him work on his fluidity of movement. If he is able to do so, he will likely see a jump in his production.