Junior Standouts: Rushing Leaders
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It is always a ton of fun to track the top rushing leaders, even when broken down by class. In the state of Georgia, each class is littered with talent, so it is almost best that we take the time…
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Continue ReadingIt is always a ton of fun to track the top rushing leaders, even when broken down by class. In the state of Georgia, each class is littered with talent, so it is almost best that we take the time to recognize players’ success, regardless of the class they are in, and in comparison to their peers their age. Below, we took some time to recognize some of the top prospects in the 2024 class who also managed to accumulate an impressive amount of rushing yards during the 2021 season.
Keyjuan Brown Keyjuan Brown 5'10" | 200 lbs | RB South Atlanta | 2023 State GA – South Atlanta
Going into his senior year, Brown sits at 10 offers, with most of them being from mid tier teams and programs. Regardless, his body of work in his Junior season speaks for itself, as he rushed for a total of 2,757 yards. This not only led is entire class in rushing yards, but it also led the entire state in this category. To add to this, Brown achieved such things within the span of 13 games, and managed to average around 11 yards a carry by the end of the year. If this is not impressive, the fact that he also averaged around 212 yards a game should also be a big thing for his to carry into next season. In addition to this, Brown also rushed for around 38 TD’s, to only 5 fumbles- which we would like to see improve next season.
Justice Haynes Justice Haynes 5'10" | 205 lbs | RB Buford | 2023 State GA – Blessed Trinity
Haynes, who has proven to be one of the top talents in the entire state, shined more than most players last year, regardless of graduating class. As a 2024 prospect, he not only was the 2nd ranked Junior RB, based on rushing yards, but he also has received plenty of attention, and offers along the way. Going into his Senior year, not only does he have the top colleges at his fingertips, but we fully believe that he has one last chance to play at an extremely high level for his school, and make a playoff run for his team. By the end of the year, Haynes totaled 2,375 yards on the ground, and also averaged around 197 yards a game, with 8.6 yards a carry. He was also a major contributor when it came to total point for his team, as he also totaled 29 TD’s.
DJ Bell- Pierce County
Dj Bell was also a player who had a high level of success in 2021. By the end of the year, he had totaled over 1,887 yards, and averaged around 209 yards a game. This high volume of production was key for his team and helped them to win 9, of their 11 wins. Bell also averaged around 7.2 yards a carry last season, which is very impressive for any RB. This statistic in itself is proof of how dynamic of a player Bell is for his team, and only further indicates that defenses should be weary of him going into next year. It should also be noted that Bell totaled 23 TD’s last year, to only 1 fumble, making him a very efficient player, with a bright senior year ahead of him.
Ty Adams- Swainsboro
Even though Ty Adams may not be as popular as some of the other prospects on this list, it does not take away from his production, and contributions to his team. Last season, Adams managed to rush for over 1,770 yards, while also averaging around 127 yards a game, within a 14 game span. This in itself helped lead his team through the playoffs, even though they fell short of advancing with a chance at a state championship. Despite this, Adams also impressed many talent evaluators as he totaled 23 TD’s all season, and recorded 0 fumbles. Next season, if Adams can reclaim any of this kind of success, he could see himself potentially picking up offers.
Marlon Mitchell- Macon County
If you are unaware of who Ty Adams is, there is a good chance that you may also not know who Marlon Mitchell is as well. In 2021, Mitchell was the 5th leader in rushing out of his class as he totaled 1,712 yards, with an average of 142 yards a game. Mitchell remained a crucial part of his team last year as he also touched the rock 193 times, averaging around 8.9 yards a carry. By the end of the season, this amount of success was also reflective in the fact that he totaled 20 TD’s, to only 2 fumbles. Next year, we would like to see him step up for his team, and lead his team even further into the playoffs if awarded the chance.