submitted by site contributor Barry Every

 

VERSION 1.0

National Signing Day is less than three months away for the Class of 2017, but recruiting never stops as college coaches around the country continually look to get the edge on talent. So it’s not too early to take a look at the current talent pool in the Class of 2018.

What is my definition of South Georgia? Any school below the gnat line starting with Warner Robins all the way to the Florida line. This also includes schools from Savannah to Columbus in the geographic area of South Georgia.

South Georgia produces between 30 and 40 FBS signees in any given year. That’s more scholarships per year than states such as Arizona, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. That doesn’t count the slew of FCS stars that call South Georgia home.

It’s safe to say that the area south of the gnat line is under-recruited. Outside of Columbus and Savannah, the distance between schools can be time-consuming for college coaches on the recruiting trail.

Some of the greatest football players in Georgia state history hail from the land of peaches, peanuts and pecans. Unfortunately, many colleges from outside the state find the mass expanse too daunting to tackle.

Players such as Allen Bailey (McIntosh County Academy), Champ Bailey (Charlton County), Brentson Buckner (Carver), Marion Butts (Worth County), Phillip Daniels (Seminole County), Thomas Davis (Randolph-Clay), Charles Grant (Miller County), Tyreek Hill (Coffee), Leodis McKelvin (Ware County), Carl Simpson (Appling County), Marcus Stroud (Brooks County) and Charlie Ward (Thomas County Central) all played high school ball in South Georgia.

Below is version 1.0 of the South Georgia Top 50 for the Class of 2018. Early verbal offers are not taken into consideration for making the list. Film evaluation, size, athleticism and production are the criteria used for making this list.

The South Georgia Top 50 will be updated and expanded, but we need your help in finding the college stars of tomorrow whether they are FBS, FCS or DII. If you feel that a player from South Georgia in the Class of 2018 is missing, please feel free to contact us via Twitter @BVEvery or @RecruitGeorgia.

Our goal is to help as many football players in the state of Georgia reach their goal of playing football on a full or partial scholarship. In the end, it’s the education that a student-athlete receives that will eventually carry them through their entire life. Football is a great sport, but eventually it comes to an end at an early age no matter how good you are.

---

2018 TOP 50

1. Quay Walker LB Crisp County 
– 6’4″ 210 lbs HUDL

2. Dameon Pierce RB Bainbridge 
– 5’11” 205 lbs HUDL

3. Otis Reese OLB Lee County 
– 6’2″ 200 lbs HUDL

4. JJ Peterson OLB  Colquitt County 
– 6’2″ 210 lbs HUDL

5. Christian Meadows OG Macon County
– 6’3″ 330 lbs RG Profile

6. Deontrey Hill OL Houston County 
– 6’4″ 325 lbs HUDL

7. Christian Armstrong OL Warner Robins 
– 6’6″ 290 lbs HUDL

8. James Graham ATH Fitzgerald 
– 6′ 190 lbs RG Profile

9. Sharrod Frazier S Brunswick 
– 6′ 190 lbs HUDL

10. Charlie Thomas S Thomasville 
– 6’2″ 195 lbs HUDL

11. Sam James WR Richmond Hill 
– 6′ 170 lbs RG Profile

12. Lyn-J Dixon APB Taylor County 
– 5’11” 190 lbs RG Profile

13. John Mincey DE Clinch County 
– 6’4″ 260 lbs HUDL

14. Zakoby McClain DB Valdosta 
– 6’2″ 200 lbs HUDL

15. Trey Brown WR Macon County 
– 6’3″ 190 lbs HUDL

16. Tramel Walthour DT Liberty County 
– 6’3″ 280 lbs RG Profile

17. Kearis Jackson WR Peach County 
– 6′ 195 lbs HUDL

18. Ernest Jones OLB Ware County 
– 6’2″ 205 lbs HUDL

19. Dazhun Steele WR Emanuel County Institute 
– 6’3″ 208 lbs HUDL

20. Keshawn Morgan RB Toombs County 
– 6′ 205 lbs HUDL

21. Montreil Harris ATH Fitzgerald 
– 6’2″ 185 lbs HUDL

22. Jalynn Strickland OL Ware County 
– 6’6″ 310 lbs HUDL

23. Justin Jeffery CB Richmond Hill 
– 6’2″ 170 lbs HUDL

24. Tyleek Collins ATH Benedictine 
– 5’10” 180 lbs HUDL

25. TJ Harris S Lee County 
– 6’1″ 190 lbs HUDL

26. Jeremiah Compton S Camden County 
– 5’11” 180 lbs HUDL

27. Traveon Freeman DE Liberty County 
– 6’3″ 225 lbs HUDL

28. Jaylen Jackson S Brunswick 
– 6′ 180 lbs HUDL

29. Rashod Bateman WR Tift County 
– 6’2″ 170 lbs HUDL

30. Michael Barrett ATH Lowndes
– 6’1″ 210 lbs RG Profile

31. Andrew Ogletree DT Carver-Columbus
– 6’4″ 275 lbs HUDL

32. Charles McClelland ATH Clinch County 
– 6′ 180 lbs HUDL

33. Jeremy Horton ATH Veterans
– 5’9″ 170 lbs RG Profile

34. Gunnar Watson QB Taylor County
– 6’2″ 190 lbs RG Profile

35. Ches Jackson OL Tift County 
– 6’5″ 270 lbs RG Profile

36. Jayce Rogers ATH Valdosta
– 5’9″ 175 lbs RG Profile

37. Kendrick Wade LB Brooks County 
– 6′ 190 lbs HUDL

38. Toot Johnson RB Effingham County 
– 5’11” 190 lbs HUDL

39. Griffin McDowell OL Lee County 
– 6’4″ 270 lbs HUDL

40. Jamie Hill DE Camden County 
– 6’2″ 225 lbs HUDL

41. Brandon Doe RB Cook 
– 6′ 175 lbs HUDL

42. Kam Futch ILB Brunswick
– 6’1″ 215 lbs RG Profile

43. Jonathan White RB Brooks County
– 5’8″ 190 lbs HUDL

44. Steven Krajewski QB Colquitt County 
– 6’4″ 195 lbs RG Profile

45. Javonte Middleton ATH Jenkins
– 6’2″ 165 lbs RG Profile

46. Erick Roberson S Dublin
– 6’1″ 170 lbs HUDL

47. TJ Ming WR Crisp County 
– 6’3″ 190 lbs HUDL

48. Christian Bass TE Long County 
– 6’4″ 220 lbs HUDL

49. Jordan Stafford S Jenkins 
– 6’3″ 180 lbs HUDL

50. Travis Blackshear ATH Benedictine 
– 5’8″ 170 lbs HUDL

 

GHSA News & Rankings
TOP STORIES
CLASS OF 17 NEWS
CLASS OF 18 NEWS