Notes From the Trail: 1 Prospect from Each Class Generating Buzz
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In the past several weeks, college coaches have flocked to the state of Georgia and have sent out offers in the masses for Georgia prospects. From the upcoming 2023 seniors to the rising 2026 freshmen, there are a handful of…
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Continue ReadingIn the past several weeks, college coaches have flocked to the state of Georgia and have sent out offers in the masses for Georgia prospects. From the upcoming 2023 seniors to the rising 2026 freshmen, there are a handful of prospects that have seen their stock rise exponentially in recent weeks.
Here, we take a look at one prospect from each class that is hot on the recruiting trail.
2023 – Che Ojarikre – ATH – 6’2 – Denmark
Ojarikre is easily one of the better two-way players in the state of Georgia as evident by his film. At 6’2 and hovering around 180 pounds, his length paired with his speed and athleticism translates very well to both WR and DB. At receiver, he is a very fluid runner that can get into the second level in a hurry. He also has soft hands and shows great focus when reeling in the football. At DB, where he spends most of his time, he shows the ability to play at all three levels. He can come downhill from the safety spot to make plays, or he can use his length outside at corner. Regardless, he is a downhill, physical player on defense and is one of the best pure tacklers in the state. In the month of May alone, Okarikre has earned 10 offers from schools ranging from the SEC to the Ivy League. Some of those schools include Missouri, Yale, Harvard, Liberty, Air Force, and Duke. He has already blown up on the trail, but he could continue to see his stock grow with a big senior season.
#AGTG, I am extremely blessed to receive an offer from the University of Missouri ‼️@CoachDjSmith @MizzouFootball @DenmarkDanesFB @JonesTheCoach_ @HennOrJenn26 pic.twitter.com/lGdFaDDDJ6
— Che Ojarikre (@cheojarikre) May 12, 2022
2024 – Jake Merklinger – QB – 6’3 – Calvary Day
Merklinger is by no means an under-the-radar prospect. In fact, you can probably put him up against any QB in the entire 2024 class, period. Regardless, his recruitment has sped up in recent weeks, and there are no signs of it stopping soon. This spring alone, Merklinger has added DOZENS of offers from PO5 schools and D1 programs. Some of those offers include Auburn, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Duke, and numerous others on top of offers he earned before spring. After throwing for 2500 yards last season while completing 70% of his passes, it is pretty clear as to why so many schools are after Merklinger. On film, Merklinger has effortless arm strength and can thread the ball into some of the tightest windows I have ever seen, is reminiscent of Drew Lock when he was at Missouri. However, he also shows the ability to stand tall in the pocket while under pressure and navigate the pocket extremely well. He has all the tools to be an elite QB at the college level, and because of that, he has become one of the most sought-after players in the entire 2024 class.
#AGTG Very excited and grateful to say that I have received an Offer from Auburn University! #WarEagle @CoachHarsin @CoachKeyz @BradBedell pic.twitter.com/kkS8jlAj30
— Jake Merklinger Jake Merklinger 6'3" | 180 lbs | QB Calvary Day | 2024 State GA (@JakeMerklinger) May 12, 2022
2025 – CJ Wiley CJ Wiley 6'4" | 200 lbs | WR Milton | 2025 State GA – WR – 6’4 – Alpharetta
Wiley is a prospect that I have been tracking for a while. He went from being a relatively under-the-radar prospect to a big name in just a year. Now, in the past week, he has finally seen some offers come his way, and they’re big ones. Miami offered the huge WR prospect on the 13th, then Grambling State and Florida State followed suit. At 6’4 and sitting around 190 pounds, Wiley has already incredible size for a freshman in high school and will only continue to get bigger. When you watch the film, you will see that Wiley knows how to use his frame to his advantage. He is probably the best jump-ball receiver in the state for the 2025 class, and he will only get even better at that once he fills out. Once Wiley breaks out at the varsity level, the sky is the limit for the impact that he can make beyond the high school level.
BLESSED 2 RECEIVE AN OFFER FROM THE “U” 🙌🏾 🙏🏾 @CanesFootball @KevinSmithRB @RecruitGeorgia @On3Recruits @quonmarshall16 @coachAj_m @WRHitList @AHSFootball @AlphaProspects @BHoward_11 @JeremyO_Johnson @ChadSimmons_ @lukewinstel @PitViperSports @JasonKervin @Rivals @tballardqbcoach pic.twitter.com/czeQhVDyg6
— CJ Wiley CJ Wiley 6'4" | 200 lbs | WR Milton | 2025 State GA (@CJWiley_4) May 13, 2022
2026 – Kadin Fossung – ATH – 6’3 – Gainesville
I got eyes on what was a very impressive middle school class for Gainesville earlier this week, and Fossung was one of the prospects that caught my attention the most. At 6’3 185, Kossung has the frame to be a very impressive player coming off the edge, which is where he lined up during practice. Still, he looks to have the athletcism to lineup at other positions somewhere down the road if he wishes. Fossung isn’t often mentioned when talking about premier 2026 prospects in Georgia, but he has already received an offer from Morehouse while still being raw. The Gainesville staff is high on him, and for good reason. Once he starts to fill out his frame and get a good feel for the speed of the high school game, Fossung should start seeing his recruitment pick up. Needless to say, Fossung is a sleeper waiting in the shadows in the 2026 class.
I am blessed to receive my first offer from Morehouse College #GoTigers @RecruitTheG @gainesvillefb @JoshNiblett @CoachRNiblett @CoachRaw_ pic.twitter.com/WHMu2SN7cC
— Kadin Fossung (@KadinFossung) April 5, 2022