Smith McGarvey is a junior taking over the QB reins at North Hall. Just last week, the 2026 passer made a spectacular play that earned him a spot in the top 10 plays in Georgia.
Lining up in the red zone against Cherokee Bluff, McGarvey took off towards the right tackle where he bulldozed over one defender, then stiff-armed another before bowling over two more guys into the endzone for a score.
The play was crazy, and 24 hours later McGarvey was voted the play of the week in the state of Georgia. The junior has taken to new opportunities, and after spending some time at Gainesville, the QB is excited about what North Hall can present.
“My junior year is going great. This is my first year at North Hall after leaving Gainesville this spring. I love the coaches and teammates here at North Hall. Coach Pender runs a fun offense for a QB,” McGarvey said.
North Hall was a strong team last year in 4A, making it to the playoffs before exiting in the first round to the eventual 4A runner-up, Stockbridge. North Hall runs a nuanced spread offense that will allow McGarvey to showcase some of his improved skills.
“I would say the biggest improvement I’ve made is with my running. At Gainesville, I wasn’t asked to run much at all. So I’ve made sure to work hard on that.”
McGarvey was named the official starter at North Hall last week, so his stats through two games is just 270 yards on three touchdowns with 75 yards rushing and another two scores. His numbers will be interesting to monitor for the remainder of the season.
On the recruiting front, the junior talked about how the process has started, and his belief that the North Hall staff will prepare him to be successful.
“Recruiting is starting to pick up. Coach Pender is known for putting QBs in college. Every QB he has coached, including Stetson Bennett, since 2009 has gone on to play college ball. Most colleges are liking what they see but just want to see more film from me as the starter,” he said.
With college interest beginning to rise, the junior has received college game invites for this fall.
“I have several game day visits that are lining up. Had some great camps this summer at Samford, UNC-Charlotte, and Maryville,” he said.
The lefty certainly does know how to let the football loose, and he shows a powerful arm in his early season film. McGarvey can relocate out of the pocket, establish and set his 6’2″ frame to heave rockets downfield. The junior shares that assessment about his arm strength.
“I have a big arm, have always been known for that, but the time is now to show that; I’m a dual threat and put it on tape for the coaches!”
With the 2024 season just kicking off, and college recruitment as well, McGarvey has a lot on his plate. The North Hall junior hopes to drive the program to new heights stating, “My goal for this season is to make a deep playoff run with my teammates.”
The North Hall dual-threat QB shows a lot of talent in his early season film and given more reps, his dynamic playmaking should prove to be an explosive factor at North Hall. So be sure to follow @RecruitGeorgia on Twitter/X to hear more about the junior and athletes all across the state of Georgia.
