10 Scouting Notes From 3 Quarterfinal Games

We are inching closer to the state finals. While it's fun to look ahead to those games, it's important to acknowledge who is getting things done in the earlier round games too. Here are some observations I made from 3 star-studded quarterfinal games.   Stephenson vs Perry   DB [player_tooltip player_id='1556486' first='Devon' last='Smoot'], 2025, Perry:   With D1 and P5 offers already under his belt, Smoot was one of the most impressive prospects on the field, and it's clear as to why. He looks the part, coming in at an athletic 6'0 175. He looked to play some nickel and safety, where he projects at the next level. He is an active defender with good instincts and elite tackling ability. He keys on the run efficiently and keeps the action in front of him by mirroring the ball to the outside. From there, he gets his arms around ball carriers and wrestles them to the ground. He possesses the speed and range to drop back and play zone coverage as well as the length to step up and disrupt route combinations off the line. Expect more offers to come his way.   DL [player_tooltip player_id='1631940' first='Chayden' last='Barber'], 2025, Perry:   Stephenson ran the ball well all night, but Barber was disruptive and showed what a lot of shorter defensive linemen need to show, the ability to work off blocks and quickly close to the football. He is naturally the low man at 6'0 and does a good job of maintaining pad level as he fires his hands into the chest of blockers. The grip strength is noticeable on tape as he can rip through blockers, even guys bigger than him. When he gets tied up, he continues to fire his feet and work to free up his arms. After he is clear of blockers, he can kick it into another gear and begin a hot pursuit of the football. Barber should generate some smaller school evals.   RB Devin Ingram, 2024, Stephenson:   Ingram had an incredible season and capped it off with an excellent effort against Perry. The senior is a shorter, thinner RB prospect, but he is extraordinarily light on his feet and quickly takes advantage of any opening in the defense. He is patient when squeezing running lanes up the middle, slipping past defenders and then opening up his stride to eat up yards. He also has a solid understanding of when to spill runs outside. From there, he can create his own yards by breaking defenders down and can catch the edge even if the defense has initial leverage. Ingram holds D1 offers and could thrive in a scat-back type role at that level.   OL Brandon Perkins, 2025, Stephenson:   Perkins was the biggest body on the field, listed at 6'6 335. He isn't super light on his feet and might not be the kind of OL prospect that can kick out every play and cut off quicker defenders, but he plays his role efficiently. He is incredibly hard to move, as you can imagine. When he gets his hands on defenders, they tend to lock up and struggle to free themselves. On some plays, his drive was on display, locking onto his assignment and pushing him way upfield to create a massive hole up front. Again, Perkins is not the twitchiest prospect, but he is hard to create penetration against in the middle of the line of scrimmage.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   Telfair County vs Macon County   OL/DL Christon Zanders, 2026, Telfair County:   Zanders has been on my radar for a few months now and impressed me upon watching his game against Macon County. Zanders is a super stout 6'2 285 and possesses well above average athleticism for a prospect of his size. As a blocker, he is more than capable of pulling and getting to the second level. Thanks to his natural pad level, he can toy around with defenders and drive them out of the play. However, I am intrigued with his upside on the defensive side. He is sudden enough to shoot into the backfield and is capable of fighting off blocks. Either way, I would keep an eye on him over the next few years.   DL Bobo Coleman, 2025, Macon County   Coleman drew my eyes on every play with his strong, proportional frame. He was the most explosive player on the defensive front for Macon County, frequently becoming the first player to create penetration up front. He generated some jarring impact when he connected shoulder pads with blockers, knocking them onto their heels. He is bendy as well, dropping his shoulder and dipping his hips to free himself up and get on a runway to the football. Coleman is a vastly unheard-of prospect, but he might be worth a watch for some smaller college coaches.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   Rome vs Thomas County Central   LB Jayden Rubbo, 2025, Thomas County Central:   Rubbo racked up tackles in the quarterfinal win over Rome and appears to be one of the tone-setters for an athletic Thomas County Central defense. Rubbo played exceptionally well against the run, tackled in space, rushed the passer as a blitzer, scooped up a fumble, and produced in several other ways. He was seemingly always in on the action and played with excellent instincts, taking the appropriate angles to the football and finishing plays with good technique. Rubbo doesn't pop off the charts when it comes to measurables, but he sure plays at a high enough level to compensate for it.   CB Clayton Hutto, 2024, Thomas County Central:   Hutto is a long, physical CB prospect who stepped up in a big way for TCCHS. Hutto is listed at 6'0 170 and looks even bigger, sporting an athletic, muscular frame. He is an extremely aggressive defender on the outside who brings the fight to WRs, pressing on the line of scrimmage and immediately seeking contact. When the ball is in the air, Hutto maintains his aggressiveness and works through the wideout to work him off his route and get to the ball. Hutto was a difficult matchup all night and should continue to draw some eyes in the semifinals this weekend.   DL Rishard Sullivan, 2024, Rome:   The Rome defensive front was tenacious all night, and Sullivan was in on the action more often than not. He comes in at 6'0 245, but he plays with excellent effort to work off blocks and gets to the football in a hurry. His first step quickness sets up the rest of his game as he can shoot the gaps and get inside the shoulder of blockers. Rarely does he present his chest long enough for blockers to get their hands on him. Once it is just him and the football, Sullivan plays with good spatial awareness and remains under control as he closes space.   DL Treyvon Adams, 2024, Rome:   Treyvon Adams is an explosive, strong, and productive DL prospect with D1 offers under his belt. He capped off his high school career with another good performance. He is a ball of energy and power, blowing back blockers on impact and possessing the speed to get the edge. He is a chess piece who can be moved up and down the line, likely projecting on the interior of the defensive front. at 6'2 255. Adams knows how to finish plays against the QB, he either plays with good pursuit or gets his hands up to bat the ball if he can't make the tackle. Either way, Adams's football career is just getting started.

We are inching closer to the state finals. While it's fun to look ahead to those games, it's important to acknowledge who is getting things done in the earlier round games too. Here are some observations I made from 3 star-studded quarterfinal games.