Jaylon Calhoun is off to his best year of high school football rushing for 700 yards while also grabbing 310 receiving as well. His ability to impact the game both through the ground and air makes the 6’2″ 195 lbs. athlete a unique playmaker amongst the class of ’23.
In fact, just last week the Lanier County standout showed off his versatility taking a screen pass all the way to the house. The run after the catch was marvelous to watch, and at one point, Calhoun had 7 defenders in pursuit but was able to outmaneuver all in a few seconds’ time by reversing back into the middle of the field. He left them in the dust coasting the rest of the way for a touchdown.
The play earned Calhoun into the top plays of the week on the website and was soon after voted the #1 play in the state of Georgia.
“My senior year has been my best season yet! I am on track to accomplish my goal of 1500 rushing yards,” Calhoun said.
Aside from making the top play in the state of Georgia for Week 7, and being one of the leading rushers in his classification, Calhoun also just announced his commitment to Northern Illinois on September 23rd. The last few weeks have been extremely exciting for Calhoun, and even though he is firmly committed to Northern Illinois, his recruitment is seeing additional interest.
“My recruitment is going great! I have 10 D1 offers and more schools looking to recruit. I am currently committed to Northern Illinois,” the senior said.
Calhoun has a great relationship with the Northern Illinois staff, especially their head coach Tommy Hammock and RB coach Nic McKissic-Luke. The two coaches jointly offered back in June and have been recruiting Calhoun hard ever since.
No doubt, Calhoun has really improved over the last year and his senior film shows it. He looks more explosive getting to his top gear (ran 10.8 100m last spring) but also doing a better job of letting his blocks materialize then hitting the accelerator.
“I improved a lot from last season just by simply being patient and learning the game more than I ever did,” Calhoun said.
With the season now in the 2nd half, Calhoun still has a few goals he would like to achieve. One was his 1500-yard rushing goal, but also, lead his team to a state title.
Currently, Lanier Co. is 3-3 on the year with all 4 of their region games up ahead in perhaps the toughest region in Class A DII. Whether those goals are realized or not, Calhoun will certainly have an opportunity to play against some stout defenses and will be an All-State litmus test of sorts for the senior.
The proof is in the pudding, or should I say film for Calhoun. He has clearly taken a jump with his production, and that should make his recruitment rather interesting considering both his versatility, P5 caliber size, and athletic prowess. His recruitment could certainly continue to heat up, plus there are many more highlights to come, so be sure to follow @RecruitGeorgia for the latest on the senior back and athletes everywhere in Georgia.
