Small-town Sleepers: Best North GA QBs You’ve Never Heard Of
In the Metro-Atlanta area, there are hundreds of D1-worthy prospects within minutes of one another. Sometimes, they are within walking distance of one another. That allows schools from all over the country to flock to the Atlanta area and recruit…
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Continue ReadingIn the Metro-Atlanta area, there are hundreds of D1-worthy prospects within minutes of one another. Sometimes, they are within walking distance of one another. That allows schools from all over the country to flock to the Atlanta area and recruit a mass number of players. For smaller schools located outside of this region, getting recruited is a bigger challenge.
Here, we take a look at some prospects in the northern part of the state that you have probably never heard of.
Kace Kinnamon – 2023 – 5’10 – Coahulla Creek
At one of the northernmost high schools in the state rests a QB that has produced despite limitations to his size and the lack of a recruiting prescience in the area. While Kinnamon was plagued with some turnovers and a lower completion percentage in 2021, he improved greatly from his sophomore season and still accounted for nearly 2000 total yards of offense and 14 TDs. One of the more impressive things I noticed about Kinnamon was his ability to keep plays alive. He isn’t the fastest or most athletic QB, but he shows great elusiveness and awareness in the pocket and has enough speed to elude pass rushers. As a passer, he doesn’t have a super-strong arm, but he can put some touch on the ball and is a very talented passer on the run. One quality that a lot of smaller QBs share is toughness, and Kinnamon is no exception. You can see multiple times on film where Kinnamon breaks off a run and fights to stay up and pick up extra yards. Since he has improved every season, Kinnamon could put himself on the map with a productive senior season.
Tripp Nix – 2025 – 5’11 – White County
There isn’t a whole lot of film out there on Nix, but he had a more than productive freshman season as a starter. In 2021, Nix threw for 1300 yards and 12 TDs while completing 60 percent of his passes. In the film I was able to find, I saw a few things that excite me about Nix’s future. First off, he looks like he commands the game well. As a freshman, he didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes, and when he did, he recovered nicely from them. As a matter of fact, Nix led White County to a playoff birth as a freshman. Second, Nix is a playmaker outside of the pocket and can make throws on the run and off-platform. There are some moments where he might bail the pocket a little early, but he has the athleticism to make plays and still keeps his eyes downfield. Nix is one of the better-kept secrets in the northern part of the state, and another big season could let that secret out.
Sam Streicher – 2024 – 5’11 – Pickens County
Pickens County saw some improvement last season from 2020, and they did it behind the arm and legs of Sophomore QB Sam Streicher. Following a freshman season in 2020 where he finished with just under 1000 total yards on the year, Streicher improved in every statistical category his sophomore year. In seven games, the southpaw finished with 1500 total yards and 14 total TDs. He also completed 62 percent of his passes and finished with fewer interceptions than he did in his first season. On film, Streicher is just as impressive. He has a lighting quick release which allows him to run the RPO and play-action game exceptionally well. He is a quick and confident decision-maker, which pairs well with his quick release. With his legs, Streicher is a weapon as well. When the play breaks down, he can easily get you a first down with his speed if needed. Streicher has steadily improved over the course of his HS career, and he is someone I will be tracking closely as he enters his third season at the helm.
Jaxon Pate – 2024 – 6’0 – Sonoraville
To round out this list, we will include one of the most productive 2024 QBs in the state. In 2021, Pate finished with just under 3000 total yards and scored 31 total times. 2193 of those yards and 24 of those TDs came through the air, where he also completed 59% of his passes. When you watch his film, there is really nothing super special about him, and I mean that in the best way possible. That means that he simply gets the job done and has all the intangibles, and doesn’t have to do anything fancy to get things done. He has great touch on all of his throws and is a physical runner. Sometimes, that is all you need, especially when you have the mental part of the game down. Somehow, Pate is still unheard of on the trail despite producing at an almost ridiculous level. With another huge season, schools should start to take notice.