2021 GACA All-Star Game: Junior Standouts

Every year, the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association puts together senior, junior, and sophomore teams that consist of some of the best players in the state of Georgia. Those teams are split into North and South teams, and then will compete. Here, we take a look at some of the most impressive players from the junior game. <strong>Colton Smith</strong> | DE | South Team | Washington County Smith did nothing but terrorize the opposing team all day with his pass-rushing abilities. He showcased an extremely quick get-off and was too fast for the offensive line to contain. His motor and pursuit skills would allow him to pressure the QB out of the pocket and make him uncomfortable. On the day, Smith finished with 1 sack and numerous QB hurries. He also forced and recovered a fumble late in the game to help put his team on top. <strong>Armar Gordon</strong> | QB | South Team | Perry Gordon is a complete package at QB, and he showed that with his performance during the game. He was able to move the pocket and extend plays with his legs. At times, he would also tuck and run with the ball, he is super effective with his legs. What is most impressive about him is his ability to throw on the run and off many different platforms. He also has a nice touch on the deep ball, which he uses to connect with receivers for 2 long TDs. <strong>Chris McMillian</strong> | RB | South Team | Peach County There were plenty of big-time players at the RB position, but none are as complete of a back as McMillan. McMillan showed his patience all day, sometimes even taking direct snaps in wildcat packages. He is a physical runner who needs multiple defenders to bring him down. His quick change of direction and ability to accelerate and decelerate make it easy for him to shoot through the line of scrimmage and find holes in the defense. He also made some explosive plays in the passing game as a receiver. <strong>Jamal Sanders</strong> | WR | South Team | Brooks County Sanders was targeted early and often for the south team, and it is easy to see why. He is super shifty and explosive with the ball in his hands after the catch. That explosiveness can also translate to his route running and first step. Sanders went up on one play over a defender for a long TD, which was probably the play of the game. He also added another long TD, where he broke away from the rest of the defense late in the game. <strong>Jontavius Curry</strong> | WR | South Team | Thomson Curry was arguably the most explosive player on the field. He finished the day with 2 TDs, both of which were long gains. He has a knack for finding the open spots on the field with his speed and elusiveness. He is able to create separation, and once he does, he uses his big-time speed to escape from the rest of the defense. That elusiveness can also be seen with the ball in his hands. <strong>Magic Johnson</strong> | WR | North Team | LaGrange Of all the players on the field, Johnson was by far the fastest. He took multiple sweeps and reverses for big gains, he was able to beat the entire defense to the edge and then turn upfield. That can be credited thanks to his elite speed. He was able to find open spots on the field in the passing game, which resulted in easy completions for his QB and kept the chains moving for the offense. <strong>Aidan Thompson </strong>| RB/FB | North Team | Winder-Barrow Thompson spent most of the game at FB, where he was extremely impressive. His impact blocking launched defenders out of the way, and he helped the offensive line get an extra push in the short-yardage run game. He got a few carries, and he dazzled. He was surprisingly quick, and once he got to the second level, there were not many players that could bring him down 1 on 1. <strong>Phillip Eichelzer</strong> | OL | North Team | Walton The middle of the offensive line for the North Team was nothing short of dominant. A lot of that was thanks to Eichelzer, who played C for this game. He is super strong at the point of attack, and would push any defender of any size out of the play. Thanks to him, and the other members of the OL, the North Team RBs were able to have a field day. <strong>Dylan Wittke</strong> | QB | North Team | Buford It was a strong day when it came to QB play, but none performed as well as Wittke did. Wittke stood tall and confident in the pocket, but was creative with his legs once the play broke down. He made what I think was the best throw of the day. He placed the ball right over the hands of a DB and into his receiver's arm for a long TD. He also broke off a long scramble earlier in the game for a TD. Wittke is as dynamic as they come for QBs. &nbsp; &nbsp;