5 Breakout Candidates from Cherokee County

Cherokee County is a County that sometimes goes unmentioned when talking about football in the Metro Atlanta area. Regardless, there is and has always been some really good football played there. In 2022, there are numerous new faces that are ready to make a big-time impact on the field, and here are just a few of many from Cherokee County. QB - <strong>Austin Guest</strong> - 2025 - 5'11 - Creekview As you probably already know by now, Austin Guest is one of the premier 2025 QBs in Georgia. In 2021, he backed up arguably the best QB in the County in Mason Hicks, but Guest still saw plenty of meaningful snaps as a freshman. As he is prepared to be thrust into a starting role for Creekview, that added experience as a freshman will be to his benefit. Guest is a wise decision-maker and has possibly the best deep ball of all 2025 QBs in the state, but where he can really do damage is with his legs. Guest is a tough runner who got plenty of designed QB runs last year, which did nothing but help build some confidence for the young QB. His speed also allows him to make throws outside the pocket and extend the play when things break down. Guest is a natural playmaker and could take the region by storm as he prepares to be the starter in 2022. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15720846/619690fb4205e10584b7f549" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> QB - <strong>Tanner Savasir</strong> - 2025 - 5'11 - Cherokee Like Guest, Savasir is another prospect who will benefit from backing up an elite QB after playing behind Vanderbilt signee AJ Swann last season. While he only played a couple of snaps on varsity last season, he led the freshman team during a championship-caliber season. In short, Savasir has already proven himself to be a winner at a young age. On film, you can see that Savasir has a great prescience in the pocket and is a very polished decision-maker who doesn't put the ball in harm's way. He does an outstanding job of layering the ball over defenders so that just his receivers can have a chance on the ball. Savasir is also a big-time athlete which is shown in his ability to make plays with his legs. In 2022, keep an eye out for Savasir as he could become a very dangerous signal-caller if he ties everything together. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13437504/616b1af264dfaa0ab4e387d0" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> DB - <strong>MJ Ayers</strong> - 2023 - 5'11 - River Ridge Ayers only appeared in four games for River Ridge last season, but that didn't stop him from making a positive impact. In those few short games, he finished with a handful of PBUs and 2 INTs. Ayers also happens to be a standout on the basketball court, and you can see that his athleticism carries over to the gridiron. To go along with his speed and athleticism, you can see that Ayers is not scared to use his length and get physical with receivers. When you factor in the fact that last year was the first year Ayers EVER played football, it is hard to not be intrigued with his ceiling. Ayers has "breakout" written all over him and is someone that you should track closely. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15462999/6149361a4bb2c41778bc9148" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> RB - <strong>Elijah Washington</strong> - 2024 - 6'0 - Etowah Washington had somewhat of a breakout sophomore season, but he has only just begun to tap into the potential that he has. In 2021, he led his team in rushing with 615 yards and found the endzone 3 times. On film, you can see that Washington is a very fast and physical runner that bounces off tacklers and stays upright. Once he gets the ball, it will usually take numerous defenders to take him down. As just a sophomore, Washington proved to be a more than viable option at the RB spot for Etowah. In 2022, especially if he can become a bigger threat in the passing game, you are looking at a guy that has the potential to break onto the recruiting scene in a big way. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14800470/61a3e605d21bad0a68fab87b" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>' DB - <strong>Jackson Hancock</strong> - 2024 - 6'1 - Sequoyah Hancock is another 2024 prospect that is looking to build off a big sophomore season. While he made an impact on both sides of the ball, we project Hancock to defensive back. On the year, Hancock finished with 18 total tackles, 3 TFLs, and 3 INTs. When you turn on the tape, you will see an extremely versatile and rangy prospect. He lines up anywhere from LB to CB to S. He is physical enough to play in the box and make plays in the running game, but he makes a big impact at safety where he can come downfield in a hurry. Once Hancock settles into a role, he has a chance to develop into an elite player. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14770572/615c903cbee1c50538f848c1" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>