Sophomore RB Becoming One of the Nation’s Best

Matt DeBary October 28, 2020 @ 03:07 PM

There’s a new running back to know in Georgia, and he’s got 5-star potential written all over him. That would be 2023 dual-threat athlete [player_tooltip player_id="34011" first="Justice" last="Haynes"] of Blessed Trinity. A baseball star on the diamond, the Roswell native and UGA legacy has quickly become one of the top running backs in the state after a 311-yard, 5-touchdown performance against Carrollton over the weekend. It’s easy to see the talent. The elite tailback has great vision, balance, and has great speed to go along with his ability to break tackles on a consistent basis. He has the speed to get to the edge and make plays on the perimeter, but he’s also strong enough to pick up tough yards up the middle between the tackles. He’s a natural at the position and checks all the boxes early on for someone his age. A UGA legacy, Haynes is the son of former Bulldog and Pittsburgh Steeler running back Verron Haynes, who was drafted in the 5th round of the 2002 NFL draft by the Steelers. Haynes went on to win Super Bowl XL later in his career. It looks like the younger Haynes could be even better than his old man, and he now has the offers to prove it. Earlier this week, the 5-foot-10 185-pounder earned an offer from UGA. He also earned recent offers from Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, and Mississippi State. Look for even more offers to continue to roll in for Haynes, who is expected to be one of the top overall running backs in the entire 2023 class.   Another prospect to keep an eye on in the near future is 5-star ATH [player_tooltip player_id="33865" first="Deyon" last="Bouie"] of Bainbridge. The South Georgia star is one of the state’s best athletes and can make an instant impact at both WR and DB at the next level. Bouie has elite playmaking ability on both sides of the ball, showing explosiveness, great hands, and athleticism. He is almost unstoppable as a receiver, but his natural instincts and cover skills should see him make an early impact as a defensive back at the next level. The 5-foot-111 185-pounder is coming "very close" to a commitment, and Prep Red-Zone believes the Georgia Bulldogs and LSU Tigers are the two teams in the best position to land his commitment at this time.   One peach state defender who did make his decision this week was Carrollton (GA) defensive end, [player_tooltip player_id="33680" first="Khristian" last="Zachary"]. The 6-foot-5 250-pounder from West Georgia held offers from top programs across the country, but has decided to make his commitment to Liberty. This is the biggest recruiting win in Liberty football history, and the three-star defender should see lots of early playing time at Liberty as a freshman in 2021.