Westlake has put together a solid season this year going 5-3 with a tough strength of schedule, and junior quarterback Jimmy Inman is a big reason why. His efficiency has been excellent thru 8 games, completing 67% of his passes on 78 attempts for 816 yards and 7 touchdowns while only throwing one interception too.

Perhaps the most unique completion came last Friday night against Newnan where it originally looked like the 6’4″ junior signal-caller was bottled up in the pocket as it slowly collapsed around him, but the junior kept his composure. Inman stepped up in the pocket until there was no more time, and a Newnan defender had him in his clutches, but the savvy junior was not going to give up on the play despite both arms being clasped to his sides. The creative junior brought football into both hands, and somehow managed a two-hand push shot that looked more akin to footage from a 1950’s basketball game, but it got the job done, and his back Jamari Sirmons (an impressive junior from Westlake as well) quickly accelerated from the defense for a 21-yard touchdown.

It was a back-breaking play late with only 25 seconds left in the first half that put the Lions up 21-7 and led to their easy blowout win against Newnan 34-7. It was a huge win for Westlake, who is now 3-0 in region, but the individual play showcased the intangibles and creativity that the 2021 quarterback can do on the fly. Last Sunday, he made our top 10 plays, and 24 hours later, Inman had earned the top play in the state of Georgia for Week 10.

So how has the season gone so far for Inman and his Westlake squad?

“Despite a couple of rough patches, it’s been a pretty good season so far. I’ve gained a greater understanding for the game mentally, became a better leader, and built a better bond with my teammates,” the junior replied.

No doubt, it’s been a learning experience for Inman playing in the highest classification in Georgia – just last year as a sophomore he suited up for New Manchester where he put up quality numbers. At 6’4″, there will obviously be recruiting interest in the left-handed quarterback, and so far, the junior has heard from a few schools.

“I’ve heard from the Naval Academy, East Carolina, and the University of Columbia.”

That list will continue to expand, but one thing is for sure, two of those programs have strong academics, which certainly matches Inman’s 3.4 GPA. His dual threat capabilities stretch beyond the field, and into the classroom, making him a legit student-athlete that colleges need to explore further.

Over the last year, Inman feels like that his game has grown a lot and spread over to various aspects. “In year 3, I think I’ve improved my scrambling ability, pocket awareness, pre-snap reads, and keeping the play alive,” he said.

That cagey-creative mindset is a hallmark of left-handed quarterbacks; maybe the fact that everything is flipped or just a different train of thought, but southpaw quarterbacks typically make plays on the fly. Inman is no different, and though he doesn’t model his game after any one quarterback, he did say, “I do watch quarterbacks like Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Deshawn Watson.” Some of the best dual threat quarterbacks in the history of the NFL to emulate for sure (and yes Rodgers is a dual threat, he has run for 3000 yards and 28 touchdowns in his career).

Inman is laser-focused on the season, but does have upcoming visits to East Carolina and Georgia Southern on the horizon. His recruitment is sure to blossom over the 5-6 months, but right now, it’s almost playoff time or some might say, the 2nd season is about to start in Georgia. Westlake has played a tough schedule, especially early in the year, so they should be one of the most battle tested teams in 7-A with the potential of earning an important #1 seed if they take care of business against Wheeler this Friday and Campbell the following week.

It does not seem like it, but the regular season is almost over, so we asked Inman to look back and tell us what he enjoys the most about playing on Friday nights.

“When it comes to Friday nights, I love the atmosphere. The camera, the crowd, and just the anticipation before the game that puts me in a different zone. The crowd’s reaction after touchdowns is unbeatable. You can’t get enough of the locker room after a victory either; I live for moments like those!”

Inman and his teammates hope to share more memorable gridiron moments over the coming weeks, as we expect them to make a push deep into the playoffs, so stay tuned to @RecruitGeorgia on Twitter to hear the latest on Inman’s Lions and everything recruiting in the state of Georgia.

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