Freshmen Report: South GA Prospects Set to Rise
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South Georgia is home to some of the best high school football players in the country, freshmen included. Still, this portion of the state is often overlooked as far as exposure is concerned. Here are some freshmen in the southern…
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Continue ReadingSouth Georgia is home to some of the best high school football players in the country, freshmen included. Still, this portion of the state is often overlooked as far as exposure is concerned. Here are some freshmen in the southern portion of the state who will make some noise sooner or later.
Thomas County Central always has super dynamic and active defenders. Isaiah Andrews Isaiah Andrews 6’0″ | 210 lbs | DL Thomas County Central | 2027 State GA is a candidate to add to that list. Currently at 6’0 215. Andrews has plenty of physical development ahead of him and should break 220 by the time he takes meaningful reps on varsity. He might be a little taller as well. He plays with excellent pursuit skills, taking good angles to the football and flashing the closing speed once clear of blockers that we often see in TCCHS defenders. He can rush with 1 hand in the dirt or 2 hands. He is sudden and twitchy enough off the snap to slip off the shoulder of blockers, he also showcases strong hands and arms which he uses to steer blockers out of running lanes. His future development will stem from developing more consistencies in his get-off and block shedding. That plus future physical growth should put Andrews firmly on the recruiting radar.
Highlights
Gardner is a smaller back, coming in around 5’7 150. However, he possesses the physical upside and preliminary athletic traits to eventually develop into a D1 RB prospect. Twitter bio indicates he runs a 10.77 track time. When you watch him run in space, it’s clear that speed translates. Once he finds an alley to run in, his acceleration is off the charts and he leaves defenders in the dust. He is twitchy and light on his feet, proving capable of creating his own yards. He can jump cut across the face of defenders to find new running lanes and can make subtle adjustments behind the LOS to evade penetrating front 7 defenders. Most of his physical development is in his upper body. With inevitable growth from the waist down, Gardner will only add more drive and explosiveness to his already deep bag of athletic traits.
Jayden Gibson Jayden Gibson 5’10” | 150 lbs | DB Frederica Academy | 2027 GA contributed on varsity this fall and has some of the best freshman tape I’ve seen in Georgia for 2027 DBs. Already at 5’10 160, he is well-built for his age. He showcases good technique in press coverage, mirroring the WRs initial move and quickly punching them to halt their momentum. He is still developing his stride, which makes him better in zone coverage at this stage of development. However, his skills at the LOS, physical upside, and ball skills could allow him to grow into a man corner. In zone defense, he plays with good patience and pace. He doesn’t get jittery in his footwork and drift out of his zone. He reacts well to the QBs eyes and does a good job of fighting through the hands of WRs to get to the ball. As a downhill tackler, Gibson is productive and does a good job of squatting down to tackle off a firm base.
Mobley is a dynamic QB prospect with intriguing measurables and skillsets. He comes in at 5’8 165, but does flash some marksmanship and potential as a signal-caller. He is an extremely dangerous runner, proving to be light on his feet and generates tons of power and separation each time he plants his foot in the ground to cut. In fact, I wouldn’t rule out a future move to RB with his stout, low to the ground build and ability to run the football. As a passer, he can create and evade pressure at a high level. He has decent arm strength and can launch the ball for his size, but might be limited to making some timing and off-script throws. There is plenty of reason to buy stock in him as a QB, but regardless of where he ends up, he has a chance to break off a big play on every snap as long as the football is in his hands.
Murray won’t necessarily scare you off the bus at 5’10 190, at least yet, but he produced on varsity this fall against good competition and flashes outstanding athleticism at the LB spot. He plays low to the ground and dissects the play very well, slipping by OL leaking out to the second level and cutting off running angles for the RB. He is a firm tackler, working momentum through the ground and striking with good pad level. When left untouched as a blitzer, he can get to the QB before he even has time to settle in the pocket and read the field. If he can get to around 6’1 210, which is certainly a possibility, there is a good chance he picks up some FBS buzz. He can get pressure right in the face of QBs and be extremely active between the hashes. He is certainly someone I will be watching closely over the next few years.