Region IDs: 9 Lake Lanier Area Hidden Gems

The area around Lake Lanier is one of the most underrated regions in Georgia when it comes to talent. This area is also rapidly growing, meaning more and more talent will cycle through during the years to come. Here are some hidden gems from the area that caught my eye.    Recinella is a tower on the outside with plenty of space to pack weight onto his lanky 180-pound frame. He has a massive catch radius thanks to his height, but you can also credit it to his ability to go low and scoop balls off the turf. He is an obvious mismatch threat on the outside, forcing corners to play almost perfectly at the point of attack. I wouldn't consider him a burner, but he creates separation on crossing routes and skates through release points naturally. He has solid spatial awareness as well, settling down into soft spots and shielding the catch point. Recinella is receiving very little recruiting buzz, but should be given his traits and upside.     [player_tooltip player_id='1158109' first='Chase' last='Rhoads'] is a productive rising senior sleeper who emerged as an outside receiving threat this fall for East Forsyth. He acts mostly as a mismatch, playing way bigger than most corners he lines up against at 6'2 200. He is fast enough to run by most guys too. He does a good job of working back toward the QB to beat undercutting DBs to a spot. He has the athleticism and focus to make plays above the ladder and in awkward spots. Against better corners, he plays with deception, getting DBs to bite and move in one direction, then attacking space. Rhoads is a solid size/speed threat who has evidence on tape of making difficult catches.     Nasser Aliou is a two-way player who I project as a nickel. He has a good frame at 6'1 190 with more mass to be added. Aliou's ability to keep his chest clean and steer free of blockers could be teaching tape. He uses his flexibility to bend around blockers and his length to press out and keep distance from the opposition. He does a good job of settling down in an alley and is pretty consistent with attacking the trunk of ball carriers. He uses his length to trip up and make shoestring tackles if he is off-mark a little. Aliou will play best as a run-and-chase defender at the second level and should be viewed as a reliable tackler.     Kendrick Tarniah is a massive sleeper with practically no recruiting buzz right now. He is a tower at RT, listed at 6'5 295. He has skinny ankles and a fairly lean frame, signaling indicators of athleticism with plenty of room to pack on more weight. Tarniah is a little rough around the edges, but he leverages his elite measurables with a hot motor. He consistently flashes the violence to finish blocks through the dirt. He is light enough on his feet to run in space and click from one defender to another. Tarniah is shockingly underrated and has clear D1 traits.     [player_tooltip player_id='1577134' first='Jamarcus' last='Harrison'] has long been a massive sleeper here in Georgia, but recent offers from Georgia State and Kennesaw State mean the word is starting to get out. Harrison, who has a basketball background, could be the most athletic and flashy signal-caller in the state. He uses his twitch to evade pressure and keep plays alive. He is super bouncey in the open field, allowing him to dance around contact and jump in and out of optimal running lanes. He leverages these traits with a quick release and strong arm. He shows on tape the evidence of pushing the ball down the field vertically, both with drive and touch. You can't argue against his traits. Harrison is one of the most athletic QBs I have ever evaluated and he should get a crack at the FBS level.     [player_tooltip player_id='1581897' first='Walker' last='Davis'] is a big, long defender who roams the field on defense, projecting best as a safety. He generates plenty of downhill momentum with his long strides and consistently takes good angles to the football. He is patient laterally and does a good job shifting from a shuffle to a sprint. He is fluid in the hips, enabling him to turn and run with receivers down the field and get his head around to find the ball. Davis has a nose for chaos plays, proving active around the football with INTs, blocked punts, and hacking at the football to force fumbles. Davis has D1 tools and could be a late bloomer on the recruiting trail.     Plemons is an extremely under-the-radar rising senior coming off a prolific junior campaign where he finished with over 1700 total yards and found the endzone 19 times. Plemons has a T/F background with an impressive long jump of 21' 1.5''. Plemons plays much bigger than 5'9 185, throwing effective stiff arms at defenders and staying on his feet while driving through contact. He is a strong-cut runner who gets vertical in a hurry. In the open field, he runs with his shoulders squared and makes explosive cuts across the faces of defenders. Plemons is plenty explosive and is good against contact, but he also flashes the straight-line speed to outrun his current level of competition. Plemons is super lowkey and is certainly good enough to generate some small school recruiting buzz.     Dawson Gray is a super underrated TE prospect worthy of some buzz. He is listed at 6'4 225 with a pretty stout, muscular frame, which should give coaches some excitement about his upside as an in-line blocker. Even for his size, he flashes impressive ball skills and makes tough grabs through traffic. As a freshman, he even took some direct snaps as a wildcat. Gray has plenty to like both as a blocker and as a pass catcher, making him a high-floor prospect. I will track Gray closely and am intrigued to see how much buzz is around his name a year from now.     [player_tooltip player_id='993905' first='Creighton' last='Wilkins'] was quietly one of the best freshman offensive linemen in the state this fall and was a key contributor on the North Forsyth offensive front. Wilkins carries his weight well and is strong enough to manipulate defensive linemen at the point of attack. He is quick out of his stance and plays with good leverage. When climbing to the second level, he proves fluid enough to get his hip around and shield the running lane. He hustles into his pass set and keeps his hands and feet active to battle with pass rushers and handle secondary moves. Wilkins is a super impressive blend of size, explosiveness, and leverage for his age. I anticipate D1 buzz headed his way in the future.

The area around Lake Lanier is one of the most underrated regions in Georgia when it comes to talent. This area is also rapidly growing, meaning more and more talent will cycle through during the years to come. Here are some hidden gems from the area that caught my eye.