Lucas Naquin was All-Region as a junior and is following up that fantastic year by leading 6A currently in tackles with 65. Last Friday, Naquin played his best game of the season going against Perry High School, 4A’s reigning champs from 2023, and held them to 15 points. Naquin had a team-leading 13 tackles with 5 tackles for a loss and a few pass breakups.
His stellar Week 6 performance was among the best of any player in the state and Naquin was voted the player of the week on Tuesday night.
“My senior year has been stressful academically because I’ve taken on a more academically rigorous schedule and athletics-wise it’s been going good because all of us have really come together as a family and began to click,” Naquin said.
The senior has a total of 65 tackles on the year, 8 going for a loss, and has been active with 4 pass breakups and 2 fumble recoveries. The senior has a nose for the football, always taking a step in the right direction, and closing the gap between him and the ball carrier.
The progression over the last year seems apparent, so we asked the senior where he felt his game has improved since then.
“The place I have improved the most since last season is being the leader of my defense and making sure we’re all on the same page and that we all have our heads in the right place.”
Naquin is a high-IQ player, and in his game against Perry, he was all over the field. Flying across the field and being a disruptor consistently in the backfield, Naquin was a spoiler to many Perry plays, so we asked the senior his mindset on the field.
“My mindset on the field is to play every snap as hard as I can, do my job right, and play for the guys next to me,” he said.
Humble leadership like Naquin demonstrates on top of an impressive 4.0 GPA should have the attention of college programs.
“Recruiting has been steady and I currently hold offers from Sewanee and Point University. I plan to visit Point on October 5th and Berry College on October 19th,” he said.
The underrated senior is one to watch for the remainder of the year, and prudent college evaluators should keep an eye on the senior backer out of East Coweta. His film pops, and hopefully, his recruitment will too, so be sure to follow @RecruitGeorgia on Twitter/X to hear the latest on the senior and athletes all across the state.
