Preseason Predictions: 2022 Breakout Players: Defense

Whether they blow up on the trail or the stat sheet, numerous prospects every year see their stock improve massively. For the 2023 class, it is now or never. These following prospects have been waiting in the shadows for a few seasons, and they are now ready to prove that they have what it takes to produce at a high level. Here are a few prospects from across the state that I believe will break out in a big way. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="329301" first="Alijah" last="Williams"]</strong> - DE/EDGE - Buford Williams is one of the many big-time football prospects for the three-time defending state champion Buford Wolves. In fact, Williams recently announced his commitment to Bowling Green. While he has already made his college decision, his best football is still ahead of him. According to Maxpreps, Williams finished with 14 total tackles, 4 TFLs, and 3 QB hurries. While those numbers are certainly respectable, I believe Williams will quickly outperform those numbers. Playing mostly at DE, Williams is an extremely strong and explosive QB that shows tons of promise as a pass rusher. He has a strong punch with his hands at the point of attack, and he uses his long arms to separate himself from offensive linemen. With his 6’2 225 pound frame with explosiveness, chances are he will end up at the EDGE spot, especially since he shows the ability to drop back into coverage at times. His recruitment might be over, but he has just started to scratch the surface of what he can do on the field. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11415395/613d136ab53e53090057c6a7" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>MJ Ayers</strong> - DB - River Ridge Ayers is one of the more lowkey players on this list, but he is still an incredible athlete with a lot of potential. Last season was his first ever playing football. While he only played in a few games, he was productive and looked like he had been playing football for years. Ayers has a sturdy 5’11 build which allows him to hold his own against bigger receivers. His size paired with his ability to turn and run makes him a perfect candidate to put at the outside corner spot. Ayers also happens to be a standout on the basketball court, which translates nicely to the gridiron when you look at his leaping ability. Ayers already has great cover and ball skills, and will only get better from here. With 2 NAIA offers under his belt, it would certainly not be shocking at all if Ayers saw his stock rise on the trail with a full season on varsity. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15462999/6149361a4bb2c41778bc9148" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>yo <strong>Taylor Cox-Young</strong> - CB - Creekview Cox-Young is a prospect that I have showcased numerous times on this site, and I will continue to do so. The film doesn’t lie, and on film, you see a lockdown man corner that has great ball skills. Cox-Young is one of the faster DBs in the 2023 class in Georgia, and he has yet to see his recruitment pick up on the trail. With his speed, he also has great length and is physical. That paired with his ability to turn and run makes him a perfect shutdown corner. He does have an offer from Stetson to his name, and I would expect that offer list to grow with another big varsity season. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14417207/619a50c5a676c80e9c591bdd" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>Matthew Traynor</strong> - DB - Walton Traynor has been a standout the last few seasons at Sequoyah as both a QB and on the defensive side of the ball. Now, playing mostly DB at Walton, he has the chance to really show what he can do on a bigger stage. From his QB playing days, it is obvious that Traynor has some natural instincts and knowledge of the entire field. He has great anticipation skills and always seems to break on the ball fast and be in the right place at the right time. At the safety position, Traynor has a knack for making big hits and is just a really physical player in general. On top of that, he also has great ball skills, which could make him versatile enough to play man to man in certain packages. Traynor has received offers from schools like Georgia Southern, Navy, Richmond, Lehigh, and numerous other D1 schools. If I was a betting man, I would bet on Traynor to make some more noise on the trail as the year goes on. <iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14371494/6281a326bd6ac109bc963e9d" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>