5 Breakout Candidates from Cobb County

There are 16 high school football teams in Cobb County, which means there are a wide variety of prospects that are ready to show what they are capable of in a very competitive area. From future signal-callers to skill position players with elite speed, here are a few intriguing Cobb County prospects to keep an eye on. WR - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="327206" first="Jailen" last="Taylor"]</strong> - 2023 - 6’1 - Kennesaw Mountain Taylor finished last season with 710 yards and 10 TDs, so calling him a "breakout" candidate might be a stretch. Regardless, I have a good feeling that Taylor will make the jump from good to elite as a senior. In 2021, Taylor finished with a ridiculous 32.3 YPC. Here is the catch, that average would have been even higher if it wasn’t for a couple of short TD receptions. So while Taylor really opened some eyes in 2021, he will get even more targets and opportunities in 2022, which means he will have more chances to show what he is capable of. Taylor is not the biggest receiver, but he is unbelievably fast and twitchy. In fact, he happens to be a track star as well. Taylor has already received some offers from schools like Akron, UAB, and Eastern Kentucky. But with a huge senior season, Taylor could become a late bloomer for some PO5 teams on the trail. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12969681/611bbc1490ef5e0108a3a778" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> RB -<strong> Braylen Stokes</strong> - 2023 - 5’11 - Walton Despite being 3rd on his team in carries, Stokes took advantage of every opportunity he had with the football. On the year, he rushed for 5.6 YPC on 76 attempts, good enough for 425 yards and 4 TDs. He also added 88 more yards in the receiving game on 8 catches. Stats don’t tell the whole story, but they do paint a pretty good picture. By just looking at his numbers, you would assume that Stokes is a big-play threat every time he touches the ball and is more than efficient in his current role. When you watch the tape, his play will back up that claim. You will see that Stokes is a true scatback with game-breaking speed. He isn’t someone that will run over any defender in his path or take it up the middle 35 times a game, but he is a true threat as a change of pace back and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. With his speed and change of direction, if Stokes could become a bigger threat between the tackles, he has a real chance to be an elite RB this season. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11574998/61c2879f7bd33303e0afeeb7" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> QB - <strong>Braylan Ford</strong> - 2024 - 6’1 - Harrison Ford only made brief appearances on varsity last season, but he is ready to make a bigger impact in 2022 following the graduation of some seniors in the QB room. The first thing you notice about Ford on film is that he has true dual-threat capability. There are plenty of times where he sits back in the pocket and makes throws down the field, but there are also a handful of times where he is utilized in the designed QB run game. With his legs, he is also able to extend plays by escaping the pocket and is able to throw on the run with ease. Ford does not have the strongest arm. but he has a clean, over-the-top release which allows him to put some nice touch on his throws. As a decision-maker, Ford is extremely polished and is someone that would be willing to take an easy completion over forcing the ball downfield and risk a turnover. Should Ford win the starting job for Harrison, he gives them the ability to open things up offensively. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15119569/61b1315a4205d6088c25dcdf" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> DB - <strong>Zayd Rogan</strong> - 2025- 5’11 - Hillgrove As a freshman, Rogan showed flashes of an elite CB prospect. Not only does he have the length, but he also has great speed and is not afraid to get physical. On the season, Rogan picked up 16 total tackles and 1 PBU all while lining up across the field from South Carolina signee [player_tooltip player_id="95463" first="Emory" last="Floyd"]. In 2022, as he is thrust into a bigger role, Rogan has the tools to become an elite contributor on the defensive side of the ball. When watching film, Rogan has great awareness in zone coverage and his speed allows him to come downhill in a hurry and prevent receivers from creating more separation. He is not the biggest defender, but his length and physicality are more than enough to keep an eye on in man-to-man coverage. As he grows more both physically and mentally, Rogan could very well develop into a very intriguing CB prospect. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14456691/6186966da680d70b8430f939" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> ATH - <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="327197" first="David" last="Eziomume"]</strong> - 2024 - 6’0 - North Cobb If you follow recruiting in the state closely, Eziomume is a name that you might have heard before. In fact, he has already received offers from schools like Georgia, Georgia Tech, Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and some others. Impressively enough, Eziomume has yet to reach his full potential at the varsity level. As a sophomore, Eziomume was a factor in both the running and passing game. On the ground, he rushed 18 times for 136 yards and a TD. He also caught 12 passes for 147 yards and 1 touchdown. On film, you will see that Eziomume has a special blend of explosiveness and physicality. His ability to fight through tacklers and his change of direction might translate better to RB, but he is so athletic that he will stand out anywhere you put him. With a year of varsity experience under his belt, Eziomume should be able to show why he is a blue-chip prospect in 2022. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14468628/617b5cfb6e81a509f000ea19" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>