Crisp County senior Julian Fox was an All-State selection last year on the site and it looks like he is one-upping last season’s output. The senior backer is flying all over the field making plays and is currently leading all of 3A in tackles so far with 117.
The senior has all of the intangibles and instincts on the field to create highlight-worthy plays, and last week, one play stands out that will be one of the pinnacle plays of his high school career. Now, Fox predominantly does his damage on defense, but against Columbus last week it was on special teams where he caught the attention of the state.
Columbus was backed up to their own goalline with the punter’s heels in the back of the endzone. Lining up on the LOS was Fox, who timed the snap perfectly, splitting a few blockers, which gave him a clean shot at the punter. Fox lept up to block the punt with both arms above his head, and to everyone’s surprise, he caught the football.
The senior held the football high over his head while his teammates excitedly jumped around from the unbelievable result of the play. A few days later Fox was named to our weekly top plays where he was ultimately voted the #3 play of the week in the state.
“My year has been fantastic so far – I am leading 3a in tackles! I am also top 3 in the state in tackles! I have 117 tackles on the season, 7 tackles for a loss, 8 sacks 3 forced fumbles, and two touchdowns,” Fox said.
Fox is well on his way to repeat as an All-State selection in 3A (interesting note – his brother, Jayren, was an All-State LB back in 2019), and statistically speaking, he is well ahead of last season’s production. We asked the senior where he has improved the most over the last year.
“The best thing I have improved in is watching film and studying my opponents. With my studying film, I am able to react quicker and to know what is going on when they line up in certain formations. I have improved with reading my keys, tackling, and also my speed. I gained some good weight during the off-season and that has also helped improve my game,” he said.
Last year, Fox was under 200 lbs. which probably knocked him in the eyes of P5 college evaluators during this offseason. He’s now 6’1″ and 205 lbs., and looks to be well on his way to being over 220 lbs. at the college level.
Fox holds double-digit offers with programs like Tulane, SEMO, App State, and Liberty, among many more D1 programs. The senior should probably warrant some extra looks with the season he is compiling right now, but at the moment, he feels good about his recruitment regardless.
“Recruitment is still going pretty good. I haven’t taken any visits recently but I plan on taking a few next month,” Fox said.
On the field, Crisp is 5-4 on the season with a huge game up ahead against Thomasville. That won’t vault the Cougars into a #1 seed, but could take down the current front-runner in Region 1 should provide some confidence heading into the playoffs.
For Fox, he sees the upcoming games as a great opportunity.
“I would like to finish off this season with a great playoff run; we are about to go on and get this ring with my brothers!”
The senior will certainly have a busy last few weeks rounding out his high school football career and ultimately choosing his college destination. Fox has proven to have one of the best football IQs among any linebacker in his recruiting class, and we really think his recruitment could heat up down the stretch as FBS programs’ roster situations become more clear, so be sure to follow @RecruitGeorgia to hear the latest on the Cordele product and athletes everywhere in Georgia.
Let’s go fox!