Archer Football’s Top Returners for the 2022 Season

The Arcehr Tigers may not have had the overall record that they could have wanted last season, as they finished 7-5, but they did just enough to make a run at the playoffs due to the fact that they were 6-0 in their region. By the end of the year, the Tigers saw themselves win their first round playoff game against Alpharetta, but fell in the second round to Walton High. Against Walton, they lost 34-7, in a game in which their offense could not outduel the opposing defense. Regardless of this fallen attempt, and the fact that they are losing plenty of key seniors, we still believe that they will be an underrated program going into next year, with unexpected success on the horizon. Below, we noted a few players who we are excited to see return, including prospects in which we believe may step up to the plate in new ways for their team, potentially helping to put them in a good place to make another run at the playoffs. <strong>Brian Williams Jr. -</strong> <em>OL</em> While we firmly believe that offensive linemen are some of the most overlooked players in football, we believe that Williams deserves the attention that is due as we evaluate programs going into the 2022 season. Williams is not only an intricate part of the Tigers offense, but he also possesses the ability to be effective in both pass pro, and the running game. Williams will help pave the way for other top returners, such as Chadrick Alexander, who will likely be the one of the team's leading rushers next season. Nevertheless, Williams will also play a huge part in protecting Peevy, who we also expect to have a big year next season. This in itself is a big reason for Tiger's fans to be happy that Williams will be back in the saddle for the team next year. <strong>Chadrick Alexander-</strong> <em>RB</em> Alexander, who will likely be toting the rock a good bit next year, is a player that we project to have a great season in 2022. Last year, he played a big part in the running game behind Sellars, and accumulated a total of over 420 yards by the end of the season. In addition to this, his contributions on the ground also resulted in 9 TD's for the team, and an average of over 46 yards a game, on 56 carries the entire season. This prior success, paired with the return of Peevy at the QB position, will likely be hard for opposing defenses to completely slow down. <strong>Nissi Mukulu-</strong><em> DB</em> In the 11 games that Mukulu played in last season, he also saw his own fair share of success on the defensive side of the ball. To start, Mukulu not only blocked 2 punts, but he was effective in minimizing opposing passing yards, as his defense seemed to be decently strong all season long. Mukulu had about 22 total tackles all season, with 18 of them being solo tackles. While we are excited to see him return to his team's secondary next year, one thing we would like to see more out of is his ability to change direction effectively, and read receivers movements in and out of their breaks. <strong>Caleb Peevy-</strong> <em>QB</em> It should go without saying that Caleb Peevy is one of the top returners for the Tigers next year, as his return at the QB position will be key in the ability to smoothly run an offense that has weapons all over the place. Not only do they have strengths on the line, but Peevy's success as a passer is even stronger when combined with Alexander's ability to run the ball, and the talent at the WR position that many of us are expecting to see next season. Nevertheless, fans have plenty to be excited about, as Peevy is coming off of a season in which he passed for over 1,000 yards, and 10 TD's, which may not seem like much, but has proven to be efficient with a strong running game. Because Alexander, and additional players such as William Wallace, we think Peevy is formidable enough to lead the team to a winning record.