PRZCJ's Notebook: 2026 Prospects Poised to Take Next Step

<p>With the season just weeks away, it's important that we take a look at some prospects across the state who are set to make massive jumps during their second year in HS. For a lot of recruits, the jump from their freshman to sophomore year is the most impactful in their development. Here are some 2026 prospects who I believe are next up in Georgia. </p>   <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='247082' first='Maxwell' last='Garfield']</em></strong> - ATH - Paulding County</p>   <p>Garfield is a high-upside two-way prospect who is incredibly impressive physically. Garfield comes in a proportional 6'2 165. He is thin with long arms and legs, which gives him room to add mass all across his frame. On his freshman tape, you will see a large WR prospect who has the ability to take the top off the defense. He isn't a super twitchy runner, but his long strides allow him to gallop downfield and gradually make his way behind the safeties. He is capable of making plays after the catch as well, relying on his elusiveness and long strides to separate from the defenders. This year, Garfield looks like he has refined himself both physically and as a receiver. He is starting to fill out and looks like a receiver who can go up with any DB and bring down the football. He also looks like a more shifty and explosive receiver at the top of his route, which should allow him to separate better in 2023. Garfield might still be a year away from his peak HS development, but he has a chance to make some noise as a sophomore. There is some serious upside here. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/d1moneymax/status/1690452634828759040?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong><em>Collin William</em></strong> - RB - Paulding County</p>   <p>William looks the part of a solid all-purpose back. After a solid showing in the preseason scrimmage, it's clear that he is set to get some looks on varsity this fall. William is a shorter back at 5'7 170. He runs with a low center of gravity, and with his playstyle, his size might actually work in his favor. He is an elusive runner who sticks behind blockers as long as possible. It appears that LBs and other second and third-level defenders have a hard time locating William, which leads to poor tackle attempts and bigger gains. William has the suddenness and acceleration to slip right by defenders and make big plays. With his low center of gravity, William can shrug off tackles up around his shoulder and navigate through traffic while showing solid contact balance. William appears to be a dangerous runner who has the skills to be on the field for every down. He should play a big role for Paulding County this fall and will start to make a name for himself. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CW2026/status/1690467318466281472?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='422536' first='Max' last='Walraven']</em></strong> - QB - West Forsyth</p>   <p>Walraven is a big, mobile QB prospect who is a popular pick to break out in 2023. As far as physical traits are concerned, Walraven is one of the more impressive QBs the state has to offer in 2026. He is all of 6'4 185. He is super thin and lanky right now, but he moves well and has the bulk of his physical development ahead of him. As a freshman, Walraven made most of his plays out on the run, both in the gun and running the bootleg from under center. He shows good flexibility and action in his hips, rotating as he fires the ball. He is capable of making cross-body throws as well. Walraven has an elastic delivery and should see his release speed up as he fills out. He seems to be a consistent passer who throws with good ball placement, especially on the move. As a runner, Walraven takes his game to another level. He has outstanding straight-line speed and accelerates very quickly with his long strides. If given an opening, he has the ability to put his feet in the dirt and explode downfield. He shows the unique ability to evade pressure and keep plays alive. He keeps his eyes downfield and shows good field vision as he can get the ball out to open receivers while fighting to keep the play alive. If Walraven has a productive season, the hype train will be rolling next offseason. Walraven is in a league of his own as far as size-speed profile is concerned. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/WestForsythFB/status/1652110985346293760?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='212085' first='Jude' last='Cascone']</em></strong> - TE - Walton </p>   <p>Cascone was a stock-up player this offseason who should add an interesting wrinkle to the Walton offense in the 2023 season and beyond. His freshman tape suggests that he is a versatile player who can make an impact both as a blocker and with the ball in his hands. Cascone has the size to line up as an in-line blocker. He is not afraid to take on contact, and even shows impact-blocking potential downfield. For a TE, he has a very good athletic profile and can make explosive plays with the football in his hands. Last season, he was used a lot in the run game where he could take handoffs and lumber downfield for big gains. He was often targeted often in the short game around the line of scrimmage. Simply put, when given the football with room to run, he has the speed to get downfield in a hurry and also has outstanding contact balance. This offseason, he showed the legitimate ability to attack the downfield passing game. He can stack moves at the top of his route and has the speed to attack the seams. When the ball is in the air, he is able to contour his body and adjust to the ball to make acrobatic grabs over defenders. Cascone adds another element to an already-stacked Walton offense. His athleticism and versatility at the TE spot should yield to D1 offers sooner rather than later. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/scoreatlanta/status/1680261681811800065?s=20 </div></figure>   <p></p>

With the season just weeks away, it's important that we take a look at some prospects across the state who are set to make massive jumps during their second year in HS. For a lot of recruits, the jump from their freshman to sophomore year is the most impactful in their development. Here are some 2026 prospects who I believe are next up in Georgia.