6 Eye-Catchers from Milton vs Buford

Friday night, Milton and Buford battled to give us one of the most star-studded matchups in recent Georgia high school history. From my view on the sidelines, here are the prospects that consistently caught my eye.    With all the playmakers on the outside for Milton, it might be surprising to hear that [player_tooltip player_id='1566845' first='TJ' last='Lester'] was the MVP of the night for the Eagles, Lester, an Eastern Kentucky commit, rattled off an early TD run to kick off the scoring, and he played the role of workhorse all night. Lester might not have the burst that some other RBs have, but his patience and ability to stay on his feet are impressive. He frequently battled through contact and leaked his way out of traffic. His horizontal escapability is impressive, jumping across the face of defenders and creating his own yards. Lester continues to be one of the more consistent RBs in the state and is a steal for EKU.     Similar to [player_tooltip player_id='1566845' first='TJ' last='Lester'], Tumminia is an unsung hero on a Milton squad filled with future P4 talent. His athleticism and size might be what holds him back from being a high-profile recruit, but he is a leader in the middle of the defense and is a prolific tackler. He is very patient horizontally, shuffling along the LOS and keeping all the action in front of him. He struck everything that moved against Buford, running into ball carriers with force and using his built lower body to drive them backward. Tumminia is a leader for Milron and has played a critical role in their success. He should land at a D1 school and is another prospect with steal potential.     [player_tooltip player_id='283792' first='Billy' last='Weivoda'] is a new name to me, but he caught my eye early and often. He is listed at a long, thin 6'3 200 and has plenty of room to build. He is super athletic and guns off the edge, violently getting after the QB and striking hard upon contact. His energy was noticeable and he would frequently end up around the QB. From a size and speed standpoint, there's plenty of reason to keep track of Weivoda, especially as an OLB projection.     I have seen [player_tooltip player_id='339650' first='Caleb' last='Bell'] in person several times during his HS career, and his performance against Buford was perhaps the best I have seen him play. He has always been a dangerous power-speed threat, but his ability to shed blocks and force blockers off-platform was what stood out to me. He can get after the QB when free of blockers, but his ability to sit in the ring and battle with his hands has come a long way. Bell is currently committed to Arkansas, and at this rate, he will continue generating major buzz nationally.     Buford DBs got tested often against Milton's elite WR room, but [player_tooltip player_id='1314006' first='Chris' last='Garland'] held his own and came away with a clutch INT late in the game to set up a Buford TD. He played well wish cushion, sticking on the routes of WRs well and matching at release points. He was also a willing participant as a tackler. Garland stepped up when it mattered and made clutch plays for Buford. He is committed to play at Stanford and should have a big senior season ahead of him.     Kyle Carpenter is a new name to me and is a true senior sleeper. He is an athletic, big-bodied 6'2 200 and showcased some impressive patience and physicality late in the game. He made an impressive catch on the sidelines, battling through contact to come back to the ball and reel it in. Sadly, he just couldn't get his toes down. However, late that drive, he battled through a physical double team to reel in a tightly contested catch. Carpenter has size, speed, and proved he could rise up against talented DBs to make impressive grabs.

Friday night, Milton and Buford battled to give us one of the most star-studded matchups in recent Georgia high school history. From my view on the sidelines, here are the prospects that consistently caught my eye.