8 Eye-Catchers from East Forsyth vs North Oconee

Last Friday, East Forsyth hosted North Oconee in a battle of unbeatens. It was a low-scoring, take-the-air out-of-the-ball kind of game, but North Oconee was able to gradually win out and pull away in the second half for a 24-7 win. Regardless, there was plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. Here are the names that caught my attention.    Goolsby is a versatile playmaker who caught my eye consistently across all four quarters. Goolsby would line up at his traditional WR spot, but he would also slide into the backfield where he took handoffs from the QB. He is short and stout with a good speed profile, taking advantage of the yards available when given space to run. His footwork and sharpness in his cuts stood out most to me. He could quickly change directions and jump away from would-be tacklers, making for highlight reel opportunities with the ball in his hand. He is very difficult to catch, and his frame makes it even more difficult. He is a D1 playmaker and should start receiving those opportunities soon.     Maddox Brice was likely the biggest stock-riser of this game for me. He lined up in heavy packages and took handoffs for gritty yards on offense, but his future is certainly at LB. I couldn't find official measurements, but I imagine he comes in around 6'2 200. He is long and lanky, offering plenty of room to fill out. He is a violent pursuer of the football and frequently had his name called. While he plays fast, he is also patient horizontally, allowing the play to develop before he overpursues or misses. The North Oconee defense in general was energetic, but he was leading the charge and played with tons of violence and energy. Brice is an intriguing senior-sleeper and is the kind of prospect college coaches want on their team.     Before the season started, I highlighted [player_tooltip player_id='1302930' first='Landon' last='Roldan'] as one of the prospects I valued higher than the rest of the industry. Shortly after, Georgia Tech offered, then Georgia, and now, he is committed to the Dawgs. It's easy to see why the UGA staff likes Roldan. He is bigger than I originally expected and still has plenty of growth left in the tank. It took a little bit to get him going, but they finally started getting the ball to him in space, where he shined. He is a tick above everybody else he plays when it comes to suddenness and change of direction, which allowed him to make defenders look silly as he made them miss in a phone booth and searched for green grass. YAC ability translates to all levels, and Roldan has plenty of that.     [player_tooltip player_id='683018' first='Harrison' last='Faulkner'] did enough as a passer. He overcame some early misfires down the field and was able to accurately distribute the ball to his playmakers in space as the game went on. At this stage, he is more equipped to attack the tighter windows within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, showing a quick release with some velocity on the ball. However, he flashed some touch at times. What really stood out to me was his escapability. He is a good athlete, but he was able to stay on his feet through contact and somehow escape nearly impossible situations. Even if he only tacked on a few yards, he kept the offense moving forward and was able to stay out of negative plays. Faulkner holds D1 offers and just picked one up today from Georgia State.   *Faulkner plays at North Oconee*     In the last few weeks, [player_tooltip player_id='1323161' first='Khamari' last='Brooks'] has become a blue-chipper and one of the buzziest prospects in the southeast. Athletically, Brooks is in an elite class. He is 6'4 220 with plenty of physical growth left. While he is still a puppy, his movement skills and potential are off the charts. He can play on the ball and off the ball, while also doubling as a pass catcher and blocker on offense. He is consistently around the ball and plays in space well. Given his size, he is in rare company. I expect him to play as a bigger OLB at the next level. Several P4 schools will be involved in the sweepstakes.     I highlighted [player_tooltip player_id='1345979' first='Gus' last='Martin'] earlier this season and he proved some of the hype coming into this game. He is a smaller scat-back, but fought hard for his yards and handled contact well, which is good to see for a smaller guy. Especially early on, Martin frequently out-angled defenses to the edge and created explosive plays when given space to operate, indicating some serious speed. While the defense started to adjust, he still found ways to make an impact, such as lining up on defense and making a huge sack backed up against their endzone. [player_tooltip player_id='1345979' first='Gus' last='Martin'] holds small-school offers and will get an opportunity at one of those schools, but I think there's a chance some D1's throw their hat in the picture, as he is a proven playmaker with good speed.     Brock Szakacs might not have lit up the stat sheet like we are accustomed to seeing, but he did enough to prove my hypothesis about him being a D1 caliber QB. He is thicker in terms of muscle than I originally expected, which should help keep him durable at the next level. Szakacs has a solid athletic profile and good arm strength, but he is more of a "Greg Maddux" style QB, playing with excellent touch, command, and field vision. He went up against some of the stiffest competition he has faced up to this point, but he found a way to keep the chains moving on critical 3rd downs, and tossed a TD on 3rd down as well. Szakacs looks like he plays up to competition and I continue to be impressed by his poise.     Andrew Frank caught my eye in warm-ups, certainly checking the box at 6'3 175. As you can imagine, he is a big target, and he reeled in a few catches on the night. Frank was vocal as a leader and finished plays by dropping his shoulder and bringing the fight physically. Pair a physical football player with his size, and you have a pretty well-rounded prospect. I would keep a close eye on him if I were a small school.

Last Friday, East Forsyth hosted North Oconee in a battle of unbeatens. It was a low-scoring, take-the-air out-of-the-ball kind of game, but North Oconee was able to gradually win out and pull away in the second half for a 24-7 win. Regardless, there was plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. Here are the names that caught my attention.