8 Regular Season Stock Risers

With the regular season coming to a close and the playoffs waiting around the corner, it's a good point to rewind and highlight some of the biggest stock risers in the state this fall.    [player_tooltip player_id='1305160' first='Akeondre' last='Chaney'] has exploded during his senior season and has emerged as one of the best available 2025 DBs in the state. He has an extremely impressive multi-sport background with a state championship in the 4x100 relay under his belt. He is a verified 11.28 100M runner and has clocked sub 4.4 40 speed on the camp circuit. He is a prototype corner projection with the length and speed to stick on the outside. He can challenge receivers at release points with his length while also opening up to stay in phase. He is hard to throw over, locates the ball well, and produced on it as a senior. Chaney is solid in zone coverage as well, baiting QBs into dangerous throws and passing off receivers well. He is always in a position to make a play on the ball. He comes downhill hard and is a willing striker, which will improve as he adds more weight. Chaney is a P4 caliber corner who should be a hot commodity around National Signing Day.     Here is my eval from last month on Elder, who is one of the best available 2025 playmakers in the state.   "It's been a busy last few weeks for Elder, who has added offers from USF, Georgia State, Chattanooga, ETSU, and UAB. He is a true late-bloomer who will likely add a few more offers before signing day rolls around. Hovers around 6'0 with long limbs. He runs low to the ground and has long, powerful strides, allowing him to skate all over the field. He is faster than any defender he lines up across, allowing him to beat DBs to a spot down the field. He isn't a flashy route runner, sticking his foot in the ground and breaking towards green grass. He will make his mark early at the college level on screen and sweep opportunities that will give him the ball in the open field. Similar to his route-running ability, he gets the ball and goes after the catch, relying on his speed to do the rest."     Craig Dandridge completely blew up during his junior season. He is one of the most productive receivers in the state and is close to breaking out on the trail. I got eyes on him in person, and here is what I saw.   "I was very excited to watch Craig Dandridge coming into tonight. He is one of the breakout players in the state this fall and has been one of my favorite discoveries of the season. I thought he was a clear FBS WR prospect coming into this game with P4 upside, and he did nothing to prove that wrong with his performance. He drew a tough matchup against a future P4 corner, but he competed physically all night and had enough bounce in his releases to create some separation at the top of his routes and find the middle of the field to soak in some receptions. He flashed some playmaking ability with the ball in his hand as a returner too. He got banged up earlier in the game, but he hung around on both sides of the ball and was able to make some plays, even if there was plenty of attention on him."     [player_tooltip player_id='401507' first='Hudson' last='Cocchiara'] is another member of a highly productive Cambridge WR room. He is a fluid mover and also happens to be a basketball athlete. He makes plays at all levels of the field, relying on his change of direction and vision in the open field to make plays after the catch. He flashes some solid footwork at the line and is a nuanced enough route runner to sink his hips and nod his head/shoulders during critical points of the route. Cocchiara is a clear D1 WR talent and still has another year of development sitting in the tank.     [player_tooltip player_id='1609453' first='Ethan' last='Daughtery'] took a major leap forward this year for Lambert. He was more efficient and raised his stock a few notches. Here is a write-up from earlier this year.   "Behind the arm of [player_tooltip player_id='1609453' first='Ethan' last='Daughtery'], Lambert was able to knock off Cherokee in a shootout. Daughtery efficiently completed 81% of his passes while throwing for nearly 250 yards. He added 2 TDs against 1 INT. Daughtery is a big body at 6'3 185 with plenty of juice in his arm. Against Cherokee, he showed the ability to attack all areas of the field and bomb the ball behind safeties. He is more of a pocket passer, but he is athletic enough to evade pressure and keep plays alive when protection breaks down. Daughtery is a big QB with a big arm and a multi-sport background. He is also battle-tested against very strong competition. He is an underrated, yet intriguing QB prospect in the 2026 class."     I highlighted [player_tooltip player_id='1258730' first='Dre' last='Quinn'] earlier in October. After that, several major P4 offers rolled in and he has emerged as one of the buzziest 2026 recruits in Georgia. Here is a segment from my recent eval:   "Quinn's quick first step allows him to penetrate up front and keep his chest clean of blockers. He played well against the run against Dawson County, settling down and shadowing the ball carrier before using his large tackling radius to make a play. Quinn clearly has the bend and speed profile to win as a pass rusher consistently, but he made his mark known in the passing game by getting his long arms up to bat down and deflect several passes. "     [player_tooltip player_id='1544940' first='Kennedy' last='Green'] is a well-developed DB prospect with some position versatility. He has emerged as a national recruit at this stage of his development with several P4 offers under his belt. He is capable of playing any spot at DB and likely won't settle into a specific spot until college. He is a silky smooth mover, flashing a clean back-pedal and effortlessly breaking on the ball to jump routes. He has solid instincts which always puts him in a position to make a play on the ball. His length makes him hard to throw over and helps him out-reach receivers. He has the length to play corner, but his size might push him back to S. He is already at 195 and has room to grow, giving him striker potential.     I have been on Tuggle since this September. Back then, he was a low-key prospect. Now, he has several P4 offers under his belt and is set to become one of the premier 2028 prospects in the state. Here is what I said on him back in September:   "This year, he has consistently shown he can climb the ladder and out-reach receivers for the football. 6'1 is already hard to throw over, and Tuggle's vertical makes it nearly impossible when he is in the picture. He is long and lanky but flashes decent suddenness which allows him to change direction well. He is a grass-scraper, nearly touching the turf thanks to his length when he is in an athletic stance. He uses that length to be pesky around the football. Tuggle will play both ways for Winder-Barrow, but his size, length, and ball skills translate best to DB. I will call my shot now. [player_tooltip player_id='1589339' first='Giovanni' last='Tuggle'] has P4 tools."

With the regular season coming to a close and the playoffs waiting around the corner, it's a good point to rewind and highlight some of the biggest stock risers in the state this fall.