5 South Atlanta Prospects Surging in 2023

<p>All across Atlanta and the surrounding areas, you can find loads of talent, D1 level and beyond. That includes some of the schools located to the south of Atlanta. Here are a few of those guys that are surging in 2023.</p>   <p><strong><em>Aidan Cagle </em></strong>- DE - 2024 - East Coweta</p>   <p>Cagle is one of the state leaders in sacks this year, and he is making an impact with his sheer violence and aggression on every snap. Cagle is a pure strike and shed, bull-rushing style DE who can physically dominate the run game between the tackles as well as collapse the pocket and funnel the QB. He is a stout 6'2 220ish with the muscle profile to drive and displace blockers. He does an excellent job of shooting his heavy hands with good placement and violent intentions, often knocking the blocker back on their heels and even folding them to the turf at times. Cagle has a quick, explosive first step which allows him to slip by blockers. He is often too quick for the pulling guards and tackles, which gives him a direct path to the football. At contact, he is just as violent as you would imagine, rag-dolling the ball carrier and having his way. Cagle is having a productive senior season and should absolutely sneak onto the recruiting radar. </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/ECHSrecruits/status/1699050736342974648?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='275972' first='Donovon' last='Morton']</em></strong> - QB - 2024 - Mundys Mill</p>   <p>Morton is a tall, commanding lefty presence in the pocket at 6'5 225. His physical traits have helped him pop onto the D1 radar with an offer from Alabama State, and Morton is showing some things on tape this year to back up that status. For one, he is an effortless passer who can boom the ball downfield. He isn't necessarily a drive ball thrower, but the deep ball flies out of his hand like a perfect spiral and can drop in right behind the safeties. In the first and second levels, he can make the layups, throwing a catchable ball with plenty of touch to make life easier on his receivers. He has a fluid delivery that may appear a little longer in its development, but he looks comfortable as he keeps his head still and throws off a firm base. With his legs, he is certainly not a scrambler. However, he is a good enough athlete to be a chain mover with his legs. He does an excellent job of evading pressure by climbing the pocket and is not easy to bring down in space, as you could imagine. Morton is a big man who plays with some moxy and puts good touch on the football. He is a D1-caliber QB prospect with a high ceiling. </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/DonovonMorton/status/1592652170838827009?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong><em>Dorsey Benefield</em></strong> - 2024 - ATH - Starr's Mill</p>   <p>Benefield is another physical specimen who saw some Ivy League offers come his way this offseason. His tape is nice, but it's important to look at the physical checklist here. He comes in at 6'2 220, playing most of his time at LB. His listed 40-time is 4.6. He has also benched 405 and squatted 500. So before you even turn on the tape, there are some physical factors that play into this evaluation. For a prospect of his size, Benefield is an extremely disciplined defender who relies on his instincts to seek out the football. He does an outstanding job of not overpursuing and taking himself out of the play. Instead, he almost sneaks around the field until he is ready to strike, and he does so with good force and pad level. He also slips out into coverage and plays well, stalking the QB and coming away with a few picks last year. His size allows him to get physical and take on blockers when needed. He can shed blockers and also pop them in the mouth, leaving them stunned and off-balance. Again, the physical gifts are absolutely there for Benefield, but his instincts and discipline at the LB spot make him an impressive prospect to evaluate. </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/dorseybenefield/status/1615851219662082049?s=20 </div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong><em>Terrell Riley</em></strong> - ATH - 2024 - McDonough</figcaption></figure>   <p>Riley is an athlete playing QB, and he has been lethal in the run game so far this fall. Riley is extremely patient as a runner, waiting for his blocks and running lanes to develop before he plants his backfoot and gets north and south. In the second level, his vision translates as he does an excellent job of locating running lanes and finding grass. He is a slippery runner who can force weak tackling attempts from the defense. He isn't a burner, but he is plenty elusive and changes direction at a high enough level to make defenders miss and pick up big gains. He has excellent awareness as to where both himself and the defenders are on the field at all times. Riley likely projects at a skill spot, but he does show the ability to impact the downfield passing game when the play breaks down. He is able to buy himself time thanks to his speed, and has the vision to locate receivers downfield when backyard football ensues. Riley was productive last year and he continues to show some upside as an athlete here in his senior season. </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/Terrellriley_16/status/1693492702367613406?s=20 </div></figure>   <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='212290' first='Bakari' last='Hamilton']</em></strong> - 2026 - RB - Trinity Christian</p>   <p>Hamilton is a young RB with good size, athleticism, and is getting things done on Friday nights. Hamilton comes in at a stout 5'8 with a low center of gravity. This allows him to run behind his pads, which makes it difficult to bring down in 1v1 situations. As far as vision and decision-making are concerned, Hamilton is as aware and decisive of an RB as you will see in the 2026 class in Georgia. He knows when to bounce the ball outside vs. when to wait for his blocks to develop and get downhill. Either way, he doesn't outrun his blockers and climbs each level of the defense as he searches for green grass. Hamilton is a commodity in the passing game, taking screens the distance of the field as he yet again follows his caravan of blockers to stay out of reach of the defense. Hamilton is a smart runner who I know has some athletic juice in his game. Once that starts to pop on film, which I think he is capable of, his stock will go through the roof. As of now, he is a disciplined young runner who is en route to a productive 2023 campaign.</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/BakariHamilton/status/1695605393026605320?s=20 </div></figure>

All across Atlanta and the surrounding areas, you can find loads of talent, D1 level and beyond. That includes some of the schools located to the south of Atlanta. Here are a few of those guys that are surging in 2023.